did not even notice it -- his thoughts were far away.
Within his soul it was like a roaring furnace; he stood
waiting, waiting, crouching as if for a spring.

He had some of his breath back when the car came to
the entrance of the yards, and so he leaped off and started
again, racing at full speed. People turned and stared at
him, but he saw no one -- there was the factory, and he
bounded through the doorway and down the corridor.
He knew the room where Ona worked, and he knew
Connor, the boss of the loading-gang outside. He looked
for the man as he sprang into the room.

The truck-men were hard at work, loading the freshly
packed boxes and barrels upon the cars. Jurgis shot one
swift glance up and down the platform -- the man was not
on it. But then suddenly he heard a voice in the corridor,
and started for it with a bound. In an instant more he
fronted the boss.

He was a big, red-faced Irish man, coarse-featured, and
smelling of liquor. He saw Jurgis as he crossed the
threshold, and turned white. He hesitated one second,
as if meaning to run; and in the next his assailant was
upon him. He put up his hands to protect his face, but
Jurgis, lunging with all the power of his arm and body,
struck him fairly between the eyes and knocked him back~
ward. The next moment he was on top of him, burying
his fingers in his throat.

To Jurgis this man's whole presence reeked of the crime
he had committed; the touch of his body was madness to
him -- it set every nerve of him a-tremble, it aroused all
the demon in his soul. It had worked its will upon Ona,
this great beast -- and now he had it, he had it! It was
his turn now! Things swam blood before him, and he
screamed aloud in his fury, lifting his victim and smashing
his head upon the floor.

The place, of course, was in an uproar; women fainting
and shrieking, and men rushing in. Jurgis was so bent
upon his task that he knew nothing of this, and scarcely
realized that people were trying to interfere with him; it
was only when half a dozen men had seized him by the

[[181]]

p180 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p181w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p182

v?