The Cold Millions

Taft is a large work camp whose purpose is to develop the country’s last transcontinental rail line. Filled with workers and gangs, it is mostly ignored by the government, who look upon it with disdain. Though Early objects to visiting Taft, Gurley argues they can contribute considerable people power to the protest.

Al leads them to the barracks hall, where they deliver speeches that garner no reaction. Al suddenly leaves at the end of the speech, and Early runs out to follow him. It becomes clear that Al has arranged something with the Taft workers as they start to eye Gurley’s travel bag, which contains all their donations. The workers attack Gurley and snatch her bag. Another worker holds Rye at knifepoint.

When Rye realizes that the workers intend to kill them, Gurley scolds them, reminding them that she is there to fight for their rights, whether they like it or not. She claims that by holding her back from Spokane, Taft will have chosen the side of the bourgeoisie. Surprised by her rhetoric, the workers watch as Gurley and Rye leave the hall.

Rye and Gurley find Reston being held at gunpoint by a woman. Reston affirms their suspicions about Al, who has run away. Effie, the woman holding them hostage, takes them to her parlor to wait for the train out of Taft. She is treating Gurley’s bruise when Gurley starts crying, thinking about her husband. Effie notices her pregnancy and reassures her that local girls have been through much worse and had their pregnancies survive. Gurley admits that her anxiety comes from having lost a previous pregnancy. The train arrives and the three visitors get on board. Though they fear the workers might try to keep them in town, they manage to leave Taft.

On the train, Gurley reminisces about her husband Jack, likening him to a prince with whom she would explore fairytale worlds. The memory leaves her “morose,” and she asks Rye for privacy.

Rye goes to sit with Early, and they debate the principles of the free speech protest. Early cynically implies that Al and the IWW protesters are the same because they each did what they did just to get more money. Rye defends the protesters, saying that they were not selling anybody out like Al did.

Early observes that Rye’s strong feelings over the matter may stem from a growing attraction to Gurley, though he also considers the possibility that Rye’s defense of the union is authentic. He shifts the conversation by deploying a feudal allegory of nobility replacing greedy kings repeatedly. While the nobility continues to feel dissatisfaction with whoever is sitting on the throne, the peasants observe that nothing has changed. They thus revolt and assume the roles of nobility and kings. In doing so, they also assume the king’s greed, which means that the real solution is to destroy the castle.

Rye, Gurley, and Early reach Missoula, where they are met by a local IWW leader named Arn Burkitt. Arn hands Gurley a letter from Jack. He then tells her that her pregnancy and willful behavior have led them to cancel her speaking engagements in town. Gurley argues with Arn over their mission to raise donations for the cause, inadvertently bringing up that the Taft robbery has left them with no money at all. Arn gives them return tickets out of town, though Gurley’s train will send her to Butte to reunite with Jack.

Del learns from Al, whom he had hired as a saboteur, that the plot to kill Rye, Gurley, and Reston in Taft was unsuccessful. He visits Lem at his club to deliver the news, finding him in the company of other magnates. Lem is disappointed by the news. Lem wonders if he had not made a mistake, “[h]iring reputation over youth” (184). The phrase stays in Del’s mind as he goes to a bar to drink. In his frustration, he assaults a drunk person outside the bar.

Del visits Al in Wallace. Al explains that the Taft workers failed to assassinate after Gurley appealed to their emotions. Del demands a refund of from Al, but Al asserts his right to some of it for his efforts. Del realizes he will have to fight his way out to keep the money. Just then, Al relays his surprise at discovering not only that Gurley is pregnant, but that Early is a private detective working for Lem.

Del is shocked by Lem’s overzealousness in hiring two separate detectives for the job, but also by his failure to tell Del about it. Del holds Al down at gunpoint to get back the rest of his refund but gives him the amount he asked for anyway as a sign of benevolence. He travels back to Spokane, hoping to kill Rye and bring Early back to Lem. He considers quitting early to retire with his daughter and her family in Lexington. Del waits at a nearby restaurant and is once again surprised to see Gurley in Rye’s company.

Before Del can figure out what had happened to Reston, he shows up at his table. Early shares that he was hired to escalate the conflict between the cops and the union. When Del asks Early which agency he works for, Early laughs. He excuses himself to order drinks, but quickly turns and stabs Del in the side. Early pretends that he is Del’s brother and that Del has tuberculosis, allowing him to drag Del out of the restaurant.

Early brings Del out to a spot by the river. Del learns that Early had killed Alfred Waterbury to incite police violence, though the murder had not been part of Lem’s original plan. Del was hired to stop investigators from tracing Waterbury’s death back to Lem. Del then tells Early that Lem had hired Rye as well, hoping that this will get Early to kill everyone involved in retaliation. Del calls Early out for trying to take his wallet while he is still alive. Early slits his throat.

Gurley travels with Rye and Reston to Spokane, having decided to defy Jack’s instructions. She writes a series of articles ahead of their arrival, declaring her intention to speak and recover the amount they had lost in Taft. Early parts ways with them at the train station. Rye continues to think about his feudal allegory for anarchy.

Gurley and Rye are surprised to find the IWW hall empty. The union secretary, Charlie Filigno, tells them that the police have finished arresting nearly everyone they can associate with the union. Gurley orders the publication of her articles, inviting readers to watch her speak at the union hall that night.

Rye hires a group of newspaper carriers to distribute the newspapers and put up posters. He also buys copies of non-union papers, where he learns that interest in the union’s battle with the city has died down, especially after several of the prisoners turn against the IWW in exchange for release. Most importantly, he learns that Gig is likely to face conviction that week, after which he is expected to serve a half-year sentence.

Distraught by the news, Rye becomes disillusioned with his allegiance to the union. Gurley notices that something is wrong, but Rye abruptly leaves. He runs into Hub Clegg and turns in the other direction, walking until he has seemingly lost Clegg on the affluent side of town.