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“You see now,” Jack said “A fight like this isn’t romantic I was in San Francisco when the National Guard went after strikers with bayonets”

“People died that day,” Natalia said “Strikers They called it Bloody Thursday”

“We have to fight theh,” Loreda said “With whatever we have Like when Moet aspirin for Jean”

“Yeah,” Jack said, looking grim “We do”

THIRTY-FOUR

On theof the sixth, just before dawn, Elsa and the children cli Welty trucks

The workers were quiet, subdued People were reluctant to make eye contact Elsa didn’t know if that ainst it, but they all knew about it Strike talk was everywhere Careful words, spoken in dark corners Everyone orked in the valley knew a strike was happening today Which rowers knew

“I want you and Ant always in ht,” Elsa said as the truck pulled up in front of the cotton field Jack’s truck was parked in the middle of the road; he, Natalia, and several of their coate to the field was open

“Fair pay! Fair pay! Fair pay!” Jack chanted as the workers climbed down from the truck

Several cars and trucks appeared on the road behind Jack and Natalia, drove slowly forward In ht between the strikers in front of therowers behind them, hemmed in on either side by fenced cotton fields

The workers stopped enthe Communists

The first car stopped behind Jack’s truck Three ot out; each one held a rifle

A truck stopped beside it Two more men jumped onto the road

A third truck rolled into place and Mr Welty stepped out, holding a shotgun He walked forward, stopped about three feet behind Jack, and faced the strikers “Wages are lowering today to seventy-five cents for a hundred pounds of cotton,” Welty said “If you don’t take the wage and pick, there are plenty ill”

Five aruns at the ready