Bricklayer

“ The white bricklayer may continue to lay his bricks while they are carried for him by a black hodsman, but he will not lay a brick at one end of the wall while a Kafir is laying an equal brick at the other. ”

“ This is the bricklayer; hear the thud
Of his heavy load dumped down on stone.
His lustrous bricks are brighter than blood,
His smoking mortar whiter than bone.
Set each sharp-edged, fire-bitten brick
Straight by the plumb-line's shivering length;
Make my marvelous wall so thick
Dead nor living may shake its strength.
Full as a crystal cup with drink
Is my cell with dreams, and quiet, and cool....
Stop, old man! You must leave a chink;
How can I breathe? You can't, you fool! ”

“ III.—Nature of the Social Science.
OUT of bricks, well burnt, hard, and sharp-angled, lying in heaps by his side, the bricklayer builds, even without mortar, a wall of some height that has considerable stability. With bricks made of bad materials, irregularly burnt, warped, cracked, and many of them broken, he cannot build a dry wall of the same height and stability. The dock-yard laborer, piling cannon-shot, is totally unable to make these spherical masses stand at all as the bricks stand. ”

“ This picture shows a clay pit, a kiln, brickmakers, brick roadway, culvert, chimney, bridge, men laying bricks.
[172]
“Could you and I have mended the broken chimney, father?” asked Wallace.
“Not very well, my boy,” replied Mr. Duwell. “‘Every man to his trade,’ you know. By the way, I hope Mr. Bricklayer will be here before you children start to school in the morning. Run to bed now so that you can be up early to see him begin his work.” ”

“ The bricklayers and stone masons on buildings get about sixty cents Mexican money or thirty cents gold per day. When employed at piecework they will make $1 a day, but to do this work from dawn to dark nearly. The bricklayer's trowel is a small butcher's cleaver in shape and with it he lifts the mortar and cuts the brick. The pointing up of joints is done with a simple tool that forces a bit of round iron into the joint, where it rubs a round grove in the mortar; for finer work they use a V-shaped tool. These tools make nicely finished work. ”

“ The bricks are wetted either by the bricklayer dipping them in water as he uses them, or by water being thrown or sprinkled on them as they lie piled on the scaffold. In bricklaying with quick-setting cements an ample use of water is of even more importance.
All the walls of a building that are to sustain the same floors and the same roof, should be carried up simultaneously; in no circumstances should more be done in one part than can be reached from the same scaffold, until all the walls are brought up to the same height. ”

“ Harry said. That made them all laugh.
“I think the most wonderful brick work I ever saw,” said Mildred, “was in the arch of a big sewer. I couldn’t tell why the bricks didn’t all fall down. My father said the mortar held them.”
“Why, if it weren’t for bricklayers, and cement workers, and stone masons, we should be without lots of things!” exclaimed Harry. “Just imagine it, if you can.”
“That’s so,” said Wallace. “Let’s count what we know of that they build for us—sewers, bridge piers,—go on, Mildred.”
“Pavements,” added Mildred.
“Houses and chimneys,” said Ruth. ”

“ Then Bricriu went on himself to the place where the house was. But when he came to it, what he saw was a grand, new, well-lighted house; and at the door there was a young man wearing armour, very tall and handsome and shining. And he said, “Come into the house, Bricriu; why are you looking about you?” And there was a young woman beside him, fine and noble, and with curled hair, and she said, “Surely there is a welcome before you from me.” “Why does she welcome me?” said Bricriu. “It is on account of her that I myself welcome you,” said the young man. ”

“ Brick glanced at Jean. She was leaning forward, looking at Martin, her hand raised as if to reach for his arm. Brick snapped a glance at Three Star and Bunty.
"Can't yuh talk?" gritted Martin.
Brick stooped and picked up a coiled rope beside the door-step, and turned to Martin.
"We'll tie up our visitors, pardner; then talk."
Martin relaxed and stepped forward.
"You'll pay for this!" snarled Bunty as the gag slipped from his mouth. "You can't tie up the sheriff——"
"Mebbe not," replied Brick, "but we'll do our little best. There's worse places for a rope than around your hands and feet. ”

“ He told Brick that there was nobody he would sooner see win the thousand dollars.
Then came Topaz Tyler, and King invited him to join them. For a man who was already drunk Brick stood an amazing lot of liquor. Topaz and Cleeve mourned over the fact that they could not drink liquor as Brick could. It was a gift. They boasted over his ability, and Brick's chest swelled. Brick admitted that he was a wonder.
But finally a glass of liquor eluded him. Then he stalked it, cautiously. King Cleeve's foot was elevated on the bar-rail, his leg encased in a very expensive, pearl-colored trouser. ”

“ Brick and Silent looked at each other for a moment and then down at the note. Brick folded it up and replaced it in his pocket.
"Know who Scott Martin is?" asked Silent.
Brick nodded and puffed on his cigaret.
"Bought out the old Weepin' Tree ranch. Tall, freckled hombre, about fifty years old. Ties his gun down."
"Rides a blaze-faced bay," added Silent. "I've seen him. Kinda puts the deadwood on him, Brick. Gee cripes, a man's a sucker to take chances on losin' that kind of a note."
"Fools ain't all dead," grinned Brick. "In fact, I reckon, they're right in their prime." ”

“ Bricriu next met Lendabair the Favourite, Conall’s wife, and gave her similar flattery and a similar prophecy, and Lendabair also determined to be first back at the house and first to enter the hall.
Then Bricriu waited till he saw Emer, Cuchulain’s fair wife. “Health be with you, Emer, wife of the best man in Ireland! As the sun outshines the stars, so do you outshine all other women! You should [Pg 190] of right enter the house first, for whoever does so will be queen of the women of Ulster, and none has a better claim to be their queen than Cuchulain’s wife, Forgall’s fair daughter.” ”

“ Bunty wondered aloud where Brick could have been going alone. King Cleeve settled that wonder by saying—
"Isn't there a lady out at the Weeping Tree ranch?"
Bunty nodded, and exulted to himself. If there was a woman mixed up in this hold-up, why couldn't it be—? Bunty smiled. At least it meant that Brick was alone.
Of course, Brick alone was enough to make trouble, but Brick alone was not as formidable as Brick and Silent and Harp. Bunty announced that he would attend to Mr. Davidson at once.
Three Star was inclined to be pessimistic. ”

“ He did not speak for a moment, evidently trying to control his voice, but there was a decided catch in it when he said—
"There are times when a sheriff can't even use a top-buggy to follow outlaws."
"Yeah?"
Brick leaned back, elbows on top of the bar, and grinned widely.
"When is them times, Bunty?"
"They don't make saloon doors wide enough."
Brick laughed, loudly, joyously. Bunty's hand was at the butt of his holstered Colt and he had stepped away from the table far enough to give him room to draw. Brick knew that Bunty was fast enough with a gun ”

“ Brick was still further reassured by Maumer Rue, to whom he stood in the relation of grandson. On being consulted, she had replied, loftily,—
"A Bergan can do what he pleases, child. He is not obliged to walk by rule and measure, like people whose pedigree stops with their grandfathers. If a king chooses to make a box, a barrel, or a piece of furniture, for his own use, it is not a meanness, but an eccentricity." And the long word not only floored Brick's last remaining doubt, but furnished him with the means of silencing other critics. ”

“ One thing I am sot on: not to save nothing if I can bring my stomach to carry the burden with a willing hand. I'll eat mild and calm, but steadfast. Brick Willock he says, 'Better starve all at once, when there's nothing left, than starve a little every day,' says Brick. 'When it's a matter of agony,' says he, 'take the short cut.'"
In arranging his retreat, he had left undisturbed the wagon-tongue, since removing it from the end of the floor for a more secure barricade; it had stood with several of the sideboards against the wall, as if Brick meditated using them for a special purpose. ”

“ Silent turned in his saddle and stared at Brick.
"Yuh are, are yuh?" he exploded. "Well, now lemme tell yuh somethin', cowboy; don't yuh try to hang deadwood on that lady."
"A thousand dollars is a lot of money," mused Brick.
"I ain't so danged miserly as all that," grunted Harp. "Forty a month and feed ain't so much, but yuh can live on it."
"That would mean three hundred and thirty-three dollars apiece," stated Brick seriously. "Take a long time to save up that much, if yuh don't, drink much and don't gamble." ”

“ Brick closed the stove-door, and the sudden gloom brought out in mellow effect Wilfred's animated face, the dull yellow wall against which his sturdy shoulder rested, and the letter in his hand.
CHAPTER XIV WRITING HOME
"Dear Brick and Bill:
"I don't know what to tell first. It's all so strange and grand—the people are just people, but the things are wonderful. The people want it to be so; they act, and think according to the things around them. They pride themselves on these things and on being amongst them, and I am trying to learn to do that, too. ”

“ Lafe Freeman watched Brick's preparations, but made no comment. If Brick wanted to go to Marlin City and call the sheriff's bluff it was Brick's own business. Lafe knew that Brick could take care of himself, in spite of the fact that he was prone to get reckless. Lafe's soul yearned to follow Brick, but he put away his desires.
But Brick was not thinking about going to Marlin City to call Bunty Blair's bluff. Brick had an idea; an idea that was not at all clear just yet. Something seemed to tell him that the answer was written in the cañon where the hold-up had been pulled off. ”

“ Silent groaned and massaged his forehead. Finally he grinned and said:
"Well, are we goin' to town, Brick? Thousand dollars ain't much, but it helps a lot in these stingy times."
"Funny that the Whippoorwill don't raise that ante," remarked Brick, pulling on his old boots. "The county never lost nothin', but still they offers a thousand."
IT WAS three days after the robbery, but no one had found the slightest trace of the bandits. Conjectures were rife as to the contents of the iron box. ”

“ Look at Brick Davidson, will yuh? Wild-ridin', good-for-nothin' cowpuncher, but some day some girl will up and marry him. Fact. Oh, I've seen girls make some awful mistakes.
"Brick's handsome—I'll say that much for him; but, honey, them handsome men don't always provide hot cakes for your breakfast. But Brick won't cuss a woman. I hate a man who cusses at women. I'm goin' to bend a gun over Bunty Blair's head some of these bright afternoons, y'betcha.
"Met him and Three Star Hennessey about half-way between here and town. ”

“ I will give you all the money back, and will guide you to the edge of the swamp. Do you think a dying man would deceive you?”
His voice rose to a shrill pitch, and he extended his arms appealingly.
Brick concluded to trust the ruffian. He could not bear to go away and leave him to such a terrible fate.
“I’ll save you, if I can,” he said, “and I shall expect you to keep your promises.”
“I will, lad,” declared Bogle. “I swear it. Quick, or you will be too late. I’m sinking deeper all the time.”
Brick took hold of the log, and rolled it slowly across the quagmire. ”

“ Brixworth is an old, old place, truly “old arnshunt,” as the rustics say; but the latter-day discovery that it is profitable to work the ironstone beds situated here is just beginning to hustle the grey Roman and Saxon antiquity of it, with a fringe of red-brick cottages. Red brick in a country where building stone is of the plentifullest! ”

“ I carries them faces photygraphed on my brain, y'betcha. 'Course Martin was all bloody-like, but I know that face. I was kinda bothered about Cleeve, bein' as he was beat up a lot, and not of much consequence to me—not like Martin was."
"Which makes a different color horse," sighed Brick. "Things are almost as clear as mud."
"Cleeve must 'a' been gone when they went back to the jail," observed Harp. "They busted the door and he just walked out; don't yuh see? After they takes you away he jist naturally went——"
"As a detective you plays real sweetly on the jew's-harp," remarked Brick. ”

“ One night Brickney robbed him and made to get away, and on his seizing the thief he was wounded. Then the other man came to his help and shot Brickney: after that weeks of wandering, and at last rescue and Fort Ste. Anne.
A half-hour after this Pierre left Laforce on the crest of the hill above the Fort, and did not turn to go down till he had seen the other pass within the house with the broken shutter. And later he saw a little bonfire on the hill. The next evening he came to the house again himself. Lucille rose to meet him. ”

“ It must by no means be understood that the houses of Brixham are picturesque. They are nothing of the kind, being simply gaunt, stark unlovely structures of cob, or stone, or lath and plaster, as the case may be, generally stuccoed and slate-roofed; with a resultant effect of greyness. But they are arrayed in such amazing tiers of terraces, one above the other, and are huddled so nearly together, and hang so closely over the harbour that the general effect is highly picturesque. ”

“ I kept to myself my long-formed opinion that eating pollock was like eating boiled cotton wool with pins in it, and the bargain proceeded. The affair was almost concluded, when Mrs. Brickley, in snatching a fish from the bottom of her basket to complete an irresistible half-dozen, let it slip from her fingers. It fell at my feet, revealing a mangled and gory patch on its side.
"Why, then, that's the best fish I have!" declared Mrs. Brickley in response to my protest. "That's the very one her honour Mrs. Yeates would fancy! She'd always like to see the blood running fresh!" ”