Carnac replied he was standing firm, that he
would not yield a cent increase in wages, and that, so far, all was
quiet.
It happened, however, that on the day he wired, the strikers tried to
prevent the non-strikers from going to work and there was a collision.
The police and a local company of volunteers intervened and then the
Press condemned unsparingly the whole affair. This outbreak did good,
and Luc Baste was arrested for provoking disorder. No one else was
arrested, and this was a good thing, for, on the whole, even the men
that followed Luc did not trust him. His arrest cleared the air and
the strike broke. The next day, all the strikers returned, but Carnac
refused their wages for the time they were on strike, and he had
triumphed.
On that very day John Grier started back to Montreal. He arrived in
about four days, and when he came, found everything in order. He went
straight from his home to the mill and there found Carnac in control.
"Had trouble, eh, Carnac?" he asked with a grin, after a moment of
greeting. Carnac shrugged his shoulders, but said nothing.
"It's the first strike I ever had in my mills, and I hope it will be the
last. I don't believe in knuckling down to labour tyranny, and I'm glad
you kept your hand steady.
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