EDUCATION OF A TEXAN
77
It
kinda surprised me that Sam would know about things
like that and then I remembered he had a couple of kids himself.
It was no go anyway.
''Utterly out of the question," the super snapped and that
was that. Sam stood there looking at him for a moment.
"We're going," he said. "But we'll be back and maybe you
might find room."
Outside on the steps, we held a confab. All of us were
wishing Jimmy was there, but he wasn't so we looked to Sam.
Maybe Sam wished it too, but he never let on. "vVell com–
rades, we have to get some more people and change this guy's
mind for him." Sam turned to Tex. "Got any idea when it'll
be?" he asked.
Tex nodded. "Doc Halper says any time in the next three
days, but she's getting pretty sick now."
Sam started down the steps. "Let's hustle, gang. \Vill
Doc Halper come on a committee with us?"
"Sure, Sam." I .answered. "He'll come."
At the cars, Sam issued orders right and left. We were
to separate as soon as we hit town and round up all the people
we could find and bring them to the Union hall. I was to get Doc.
Well, it took me a right smart time to find the Doc, and
when we got to the hall, it was almost full. Seems like you can
get more people riled up over a thing like this than almost any–
thing else. Sam made a little talk explaining the matter, but
everybody already knowed and was raring for action. The
women was the most burnt up and I reckon that was natural.
After Sam finished talking, he called me and Tex aside.
"We have to be careful out there today," he told us. "Might
be some trouble."
"Don't agree with you, Sam," I told him. "How in blazes
can they start trouble with all these people there?"
"No, the hospital people won't cause any trouble. But you
can bet your hat that super called the sheriff the minute we lef t
his office. And you know, Tom, that they're getting pretty
worried about the Council, the Union and the Party."
I didn't wait to see what Tex thought. "Why, you're
crazy, Sam
I
I've knowed sheriff Hawkins for fifteen years and
he wouldn't pull no rough stuH on us when all we're trying to
do is help a woman and her baby
I"
Sam shook his head. "Don't be too sure, Tom. Capitalism
drives men to worse than baby-killing when their jobs depend
