OIL FOR THE GUTTERS
53
be completed by next Saturday. \Yonder if the boss gets a bonus
if he finishes within the time limit.
Kind of looks as though we'd kicked ourselves out of our
jobs. Two hours after we walked out, over fifty fellows were
at the main garage, looking for our jobs. Sometimes I think
it's a waste of time to strike, but a fellow has to stand up for
himself once in a while. When millworkers strike, they can
picket, but how in hell are you going to picket twenty trucks all
over New England
?
The wind was beginning·to blow. It took some of the bugs
with it. The woods were black and quiet. I used to think,
sometimes, when I was pounding along the hard road with the
truck shaking me to pieces, it would be great to have a farm.
Not that I'd expect to get rich on it, but I wouldn't have to
worry about being fired, or getting hell because a worn out tire
blew out, or bawled out for checking in a little late.
If
you're
hauling around a city very long, your throat and lungs get all
raw from breathing the exhaust, and you begin to wonder if
there is such a thing as fresh air.
It seemed kind of too bad to do anything to hold up the
finish of the bridges. They do kind of take your breath away,
but I can't help thinking about the guys who were killed in the
making of them. Two men were pinned between a couple of
trucks until they exploded; two more lost their bal:ince high up
on the bare steel; then a .diver's airline fouled, and he never
breathed again. Everyone seems to expect when a large build–
ing or a bridge is built, a certain number of men will be killed.
Records show they are, but you don't have to expect it.
What with the bugs gone and all, I was almost asleep when
I heard something coming along the road that wasn't an Austin.
I shook Joe hard and he came out of it swell. I went to the road
to be sure. It wa.s the oil.
Joe startt!d the car, eased it forward to the edge. I hopped
on the running-board and we were off. We didn't dare show
our lights, so we pushed along, hoping to hell the cop would stay
away. After a couple of miles, we were right behind the truck.
I climbed up on mudguard, swung my legs over .the headlight on
to the front bumper. I took an extra turn on the radiator cap
to be sure it was on tight. I was going to hang on to it, and I
didn't want it coming off when we were going thirty miles an
hour. That's not very fast, but try looking at the ground some
day and see how quick it goes by.
