It threatened absolutely the success of his plans. Even the
election of Akers and the changes he would make in the city police;
even the ruse of other strikes and machine-made riotings to call
away the state troops,--none of these, or all of them, would be
effectual against an organized body of citizens, duly called to
the emergency.
And such an organization was already effected. Within a week, when
the first card reached his hands, it had grown to respectable
proportions. Woslosky went to Doyle, and they made their
counter-moves quickly. No more violence. A seemingly real but
deceptive orderliness. They were dealing with inflammatory material,
however, and now and then it got out of hand. Unlike Doyle the
calculating, who made each move slowly and watched its results with
infinite zest, the Pole chafed under delay.
"We can't hold them much longer," he complained, bitterly. "This
thing of holding them off until after the election--and until
Akers takes office--it's got too many ifs in it."
"It was haste lost Seattle," said Doyle, as unmoved as Woslosky
was excited.
Woslosky did not like Louis Akers. What was more important, he
distrusted him.
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