Inthemeantime,thesocialistsheldfirm。WhiletheGrangersexpiredinflameandblood,andorganizedlaborwasdisrupted,thesocialistsheldtheirpeaceandperfectedtheirsecretorganization。
InvaintheGrangerspleadedwithus。WerightlycontendedthatanyrevoltonourpartwasvirtuallysuicideforthewholeRevolution。TheIronHeel,atfirstdubiousaboutdealingwiththeentireproletariatatonetime,hadfoundtheworkeasierthanithadexpected,andwouldhaveaskednothingbetterthananuprisingonourpart。Butweavoidedtheissue,inspiteofthefactthatagents—provocateursswarmedinourmidst。Inthoseearlydays,theagentsoftheIronHeelwereclumsyintheirmethods。TheyhadmuchtolearnandinthemeantimeourFightingGroupsweededthemout。Itwasbitter,bloodywork,butwewerefightingforlifeandfortheRevolution,andwehadtofighttheenemywithitsownweapons。Yetwewerefair。NoagentoftheIronHeelwasexecutedwithoutatrial。
Wemayhavemademistakes,butifso,veryrarely。Thebravest,andthemostcombativeandself—sacrificingofourcomradeswentintotheFightingGroups。Once,aftertenyearshadpassed,ErnestmadeacalculationfromfiguresfurnishedbythechiefsoftheFightingGroups,andhisconclusionwasthattheaveragelifeofamanorwomanafterbecomingamemberwasfiveyears。ThecomradesoftheFightingGroupswereheroesall,andthepeculiarthingaboutitwasthattheywereopposedtothetakingoflife。Theyviolatedtheirownnatures,yettheylovedlibertyandknewofnosacrificetoogreattomakefortheCause。*
*TheseFightinggroupsweremodelledsomewhataftertheFightingOrganizationoftheRussianRevolution,and,despitetheunceasingeffortsoftheIronHeel,thesegroupspersistedthroughoutthethreecenturiesofitsexistence。Composedofmenandwomenactuatedbyloftypurposeandunafraidtodie,theFightingGroupsexercisedtremendousinfluenceandtemperedthesavagebrutalityoftherulers。NotalonewastheirworkconfinedtounseenwarfarewiththesecretagentsoftheOligarchy。TheoligarchsthemselveswerecompelledtolistentothedecreesoftheGroups,andoften,whentheydisobeyed,werepunishedbydeath—andlikewisewiththesubordinatesoftheoligarchs,withtheofficersofthearmyandtheleadersofthelaborcastes。
Sternjusticewasmetedoutbytheseorganizedavengers,butmostremarkablewastheirpassionlessandjudicialprocedure。Therewerenosnapjudgments。Whenamanwascapturedhewasgivenfairtrialandopportunityfordefence。Ofnecessity,manymenweretriedandcondemnedbyproxy,asinthecaseofGeneralLampton。Thisoccurredin2138A。D。PossiblythemostbloodthirstyandmalignantofallthemercenariesthateverservedtheIronHeel,hewasinformedbytheFightingGroupsthattheyhadtriedhim,foundhimguilty,andcondemnedhimtodeath—andthis,afterthreewarningsforhimtoceasefromhisferocioustreatmentoftheproletariat。Afterhiscondemnationhesurroundedhimselfwithamyriadprotectivedevices。