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Rh The managing director banged on the table and announced, “From to-morrow, all work is suspended!”

Minami pushed up to Suzutani. “All right, I’m going to announce this to the two-hundred thousand members of our All-Japan Council.”

Chairs were kicked over and, as the workers were flinging themselves into the next room, Nagai, who was in the vanguard, swayed and almost fell backwards. “Ah!” everyone cried. A great hand had clutched Nagai by the throat and was dragging him down.

“Oh! He—help! It’s—thugs!” The stifled words came from Nagai’s throat; with a leap and a bound Minami flung all his weight at that great arm, “You bastard!”

Toyama, stripping off his coat, rushed to the window, and straining his lungs yelled, “It’s a strike!”

From the mass of workers below, surging and seething like a thick liquid, arose answering battle-cries.

“It’s a strike!!!” he shouted once more and, whirling round, leapt right into the thick of the struggle where his comrades were battling with the thugs.