Of course Dewey's action did not escape the attention of his fellow
miners. It cannot be said that they regarded it with favor. The one
most offended was naturally O'Reilly, who, despite the pounding he
had received, was about the camp as usual.
"Boys," he said, "are you goin' to have that haythen workin'
alongside you?"
"It won't do us any harm, will it?" asked Dick Roberts. "If Dewey
chooses to hire him, what is it to us?"
"I ain't goin' to demane myself by workin' wid a yeller haythen."
"Nobody has asked you to do it. If anybody is demeaning himself it
is Dick Dewey, and he has a right to if he wants to."
"If he wants to hire anybody, let him hire a dacent Christian."
"Like you, O'Reilly?"
"I don't want to work for anybody. I work for myself. This Chinaman
has come here to take the bread out of our mouths, bad cess to him."
"I don't see that. He is workin' Dick Dewey's claim. I don't see how
that interferes with us."
Of course, this was the reasonable view of the matter; but there
were some who sided with the Irishman, among others the Kentuckian,
and he volunteered to go as a committee of one to Dewey, and
represent to him the sentiments of the camp.
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