their
yawed sides were propped with joists. Men were loading ice upon carts;
the translucent cubes flashed in the rays of the sun.

During the process of his little crusade he had become acquainted with
the conditions in the city of Marion and he knew that the Consolidated
folks controlled the ice-supply as well as the water. They held an iron
grip by legislative charter on all the riparian rights along the river
and allowed no one else to operate an ice-field. He had seen and sniffed
the unwholesome slime which a melted cake of Consolidated ice deposited.

When he found opportunity he accosted a man in corduroy. He was a
big chap, bronzed by the sun, and Farr singled him out as the manager
because he had been directing the other workers while he toiled himself.

"It's a little business of my own," said the man. "I have started in
independent."

"I had thought the Consolidated had control of everything."

"They would control everything if they could. They wouldn't let me run
my carts through the city streets if they knew how to stop me. I worked
for them fifteen years, lugging their dirty ice on my back, up stairs
and down, and I know that crowd. I don't understand much of anything but
the ice business, mister, whoever you are. But I wouldn't lug any more
of that ice into homes. I put my savings in here, every cent, hired
these barns and a shore privilege, and I'm selling clean ice. But I'm
going to lose every blamed cent! It's no use. I can't buck 'em. Excuse
me! It's no interest to you. My mouth runs away with me when I get
talking about that gang."

He went back to the barn to help his men shift a runway.

Farr waited patiently until he was able to speak to the busy man again.

"I don't mean to bother you, sir," he said, humbly. "But I am interested
in this proposition of yours. I have worked for the Consolidated,
myself. I was discharged because I stood up and damned their water
before the mayor and aldermen."

"Say, I heard something about that!" cried the iceman, displaying prompt
interest and admiration. "The boys said it was good work."

"I mention it merely to put myself right with you."

"Then say on ahead, my friend!"

"Do you tell me you can't make a go of this?"

"I'm afraid I can't. It's a half-mile haul for me to the nearest siding.
The railroad folks don't give me any better rate than they're obliged
to--and you know why that is! And I have to have another set of carts
for the city deliver