The Octopus : A Story of California

e-head title so decorative as to be almost illegible, and furthermore caused the poem to be illustrated by one of the paper's staff artists in a most impressive fashion. The whole affair occu

hetoric and prosody. The phrases were quoted,-were used as texts for revolutionary sermons, reactionary speeches. It was parodied; it was distorted so as to read as an advertisement

his own, enjoying the triumph that awaited him. But soon he denied himself this cheap reward. Now he was too much in earnest. He wanted to help his People, the community in which he lived-the little world of the San Joaquin, at grapples with the Railroad. The struggle had found its poet. He told himself that his place was here. Only the words of the manager of a lecture bureau troubled him for a moment. To range the entire nation, telling all his countrymen of the drama that was working itself out on this fringe of the continent, this ignored and

t at this precise psychological moment, striking while the iron was yet hot, an

eam, and was to have been home for supper. By now it was ten o'clock and there was no news of him. Mrs. Dyke told how she first had gone to Quien Sabe, intending to telephone from there to Bonneville, but Annixter was in San Francisco, and in his absence the house was locked up, and the over-seer, who had a duplicate key, was himself in Bonneville. She h

n, Mrs. Dyke told Presley and Magnu

in his chair, and then, all of a sudden, he will break out-oh, Mr. Derrick, it is terrible-into an awful rage, cursing, swearing, grinding his teeth, his hands clenched over his head, stamping so that the house shakes, and saying that if S. Behrman don't give him back his money, he will kill him with his two hands. But that isn't the worst, Mr. Derrick. He goes to Mr. Caraher's saloon now, and stays ther

so happy in our little house, just us three-and the future seemed so bright-oh,

e telephone, and she interrupted hers

ingly. "We know where he is, I believe. You and the li

back to Los Muertos in Hooven's wagon. He h

unkenness. In him the alcohol merely rous

h house, taking Mrs. Dyke, Sidney, and the one-time engineer back to t

s only one thing they list

l tide of prosperity was almost a ruin. Work had evidently been abandoned long since. Weeds were already choking the vines. Everywhere the poles sagged and drooped. Many had even fallen, dragging the vines with them, spreading them over the ground in an inextricable tangle of dead leaves, decaying tendrils, and snarled string. The fence was broken; the u

eating himself in front of the master of Los Muertos in the smoking-car of the

ll frazeled out. Anyt

yellowed ivory knob of his cane, had an unwonted tremulousness not hitherto noticeable. But the change in Magnus was more than physical. At last, in the full tide of power, President of the League, known and talked of in every county of the State, leader in a great str

enth hour, involved and entrapped in the fine-spun web of a new order of things, bewildered by Osterman's dexterity, by his volubility and glibness, goaded and harassed beyond the point of reason by the aggression of the Trust he fought, he had at last failed. He had fallen he had given a bribe. He had th

ague, was called upon to make so often, he now hesitated. He could no longer be arrogant, masterful, acting upon his own judgment, independent of opinion. He began to consult his lieutenants, asking their advice, distrusting his own opinions. He made mistakes, blunders, and when those were brought to his notice, took refuge in bluster. He

man as to a certain issue of the contest between the Railroad a

itten to warn him that the Railroad might be able to take advantage of a technicality, and by pretending that neither Quien Sabe nor Los Muertos were included in the appeal, attempt to put its dummy buyers in possession of the two ranches before the Supreme Court handed down its decision. The ninety days allowed for taking this appeal were nearly at an end and after then the Railroad cou

and the two men settled themselves for the long journey, "say Governor, what'

er has been away some time lately. I cannot imagi

lma Tree. And a little while ago she quit Quien Sabe and hiked out to 'Frisco. So did Buck. Do I draw the cigar? It'

e a-girling at last, old Buck! It's as funny as twi

execrable humour. When Magnus had broached the subject of business, he had declared that all business could go to pot, and when Osterman, his tongue in his cheek,

n, "what are you dallying

reeches," retorted Annixte

at he knew was kept by a family connection of the Trees. In his conjecture that Hilma and her parents would stop here, he was right. Their names were o

ned alone, leaving Hilma to spend the day with one of her cousins wh

wishing to make Hilma his wife. Hilma, however, refused to see him. As soon as she knew he had followed her to San Francis

e white curds; coming and going in that atmosphere of freshness, cleanliness, and sunlight, gay, singing, supremely happy just because the sun shone. She remembered her long walks toward the Mission late in the afternoons, her excursions for cresses underneath the Long Trestle, the crowing of the cocks, the distant whistle of the passing trains, the faint sounding of the Angelus. She recalled with infinite longing th

one, putting on for the first time the little hat of black straw with its puff of white silk her mother had bought for her, a pink shir

diminutive pond, and sat there for a while, her hands folded in her

r. She was too frightened to move. She looked at

, at last, "oh

t blamed house till I was afraid the policeman would move me on. By the L

well," she

different now. Why, I've only begun to live since then. I know what love means now, and instead of being ashamed of it, I'm proud of it. If I never was to see you again I would be glad I'd lived through that night, just the same. I just woke up that night. I'd been absolutely and completely selfish up to the moment I realised I really loved you, and now, whether you'll let me marry you or not, I mean to live-I don't know, in a different way. I've GOT to live different. I-well-oh, I can't make you understand, but just loving you has changed my life all around. It's made it easier to do the st

the goldfishes t

to say to me, Hilma?" h

t you want me to

r it. I've waited around in these beastly, draughty picnic grounds

give you,"

tarter," he answered.

don't k

say it

ed a long m

say it right

t. Shall I say it

now what y

u are thinking of

urface of the little pond, with a sharp, rippling sou

arms around his neck. "Oh, DO you love me?" she cried. "Is it really true? Do you mean every word of it

elieved him to be the good man he could only wish to be. She was so far above him, so exalted, so noble that he should have bowed his forehead to her feet, and instead, she took him in her arms, believing him to be good, to be

id, "we are a co

o cry and want you to cry, too. O

take

ong time sat in the deserted little Japanese pleasure hous

aw the sights of the city together. They made the inevitable bridal trip to the Cliff House and spent an afternoon in the grewsome and made-to-order beauties of Sutro's Gardens; they went

bruptly declared they had had enough of "play

elegraphed to his overseer to have the building repainted, replastered, and reshingled and to empty the rooms of everything but the telephone and safe. He also sen

urniture stores. Right and left they bought and bargained, sending each consignment as soon as purchased to Quien Sabe. Nearly an entire car load of carpets, curtains, kitchen furniture,

wonderful accident at a "Friday Sale." The bed was a piece by itself, bought elsewhere, but none the less a wonder. It was of brass, very brave and gay, and actually boasted a canopy! They bought it complete, just as it stood i

in the window, a globe of goldfish, rocking chairs, a sewing machine, and a great, round centre table of yellow oak whereon should stand a lamp covered with a deep shade of crinkly red tissue paper. On the walls were to hang several pictures-lovely affairs, photographs from life, all properly tinted-of choir boys in robes, with b

ements made, Hilma's trunks packed with her ne

the table to his wife, at their last meal in the hotel where

SUCH an hour," protested H

ville say I didn't know how to do the thing in style, and we'll have Vacca meet us with the team. No, sir, it is

ified, but that goat Osterman, one could never tell what he would do next. He did not propose to start his journey home in a shower of rice. Annixter marched down the line of cars, his hands encumbered with wicker telescope baskets, satchels, and valises, his tickets in his mouth, his hat on wrong side foremost, Hilma and her parents hurr

at length, he espied the ot

sed an outcry. Aha, a fine way to treat passengers! There was P. and S. W. management for you. He would, by the Lord,

he stateroom, took their places and, raising the window, leaned out to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Tree. These latter would not return to Quien Sabe. Old man Tree had found a busin

he steps that stood by the ve

r," observed her father; "and co

e depot's reverberating roof ca

" cried Annixter. "

her mother hastened to exclaim,

-byes at once. The train stirred, moved forward, and gathering slow headway, rolled slowly out into the sunlight. Hilma leaned out of the wind

," sh

er, "happy?" for the

etically, smilin

," he declared, frownin

tty

th uneasiness. "But not A

ng from the city to the Oakland mole. No doubt a little nausea yet remained with her.

g to be sick," h

e protested,

't feel very well. Whe

t sick. Oh, dear me,

ada

the l

t's it. No wonder, the way

d, and I'm NOT sick

nk we'd best have the bert

be perfectly

k? Show me; put your hand on th

using to let the subject drop, protesting that she had

g uncertainly about the car. "Let me see your tongue. I kn

as I ever was in all my life. Look at me.

ed her face

the picture of heal

o," he began, "

, shutting her fists, the thumbs tucked inside. S

on't listen, I won't

ust the

ten." She put a hand over his mouth. "Look, here's the dining-ca

main line, settled itself to its pace, the prolonged, even gallop that it would hold f

then Brentwood, then Byron. In the gathering dusk, mountains began to build themselves up on either hand, far off, blocking the horizon. The train shot forward, roaring. Between the mountains the land lay level, cut up into farms, ranches. These contin

upper berth. Hilma sat up in bed to say her prayers, both hands over her face, and then kissing Annix

and time-table whenever there was a stop; twice he rose to get a drink of ice water, and between whiles was

d! Oh-h-

ers, a couple of drummers, a stout gentleman with whiskers, and a well-dressed young man in a plaid t

eman snored monotonously in two notes, one a rasping bass, the other a prolonged treble. At intervals, a brakeman or the passenger conductor pushed down the aisle, between the curtains, his red and white

ered where they were. Had they reached Fresno yet? Raising the window curtain, he made a shade with both hands on either side of his face and looked out. The night was thick, dark, cloud

bout half-past three. "If we have passed Fresno," he said to himself, "I'd better wake t

In the seat that had been occupied by the porter, the Pullman conductor, his cash box

?" inquired Annixter, coming u

r responded, looking at An

the ne

e there in about f

ck night,

's see, you're the part

head vibrated with blinding rapidity in the long, sliding jar that ran through the train from end to end, and the momentum of its speed suddenly decreasing, all but pitched the conductor from his seat. A hideous

he exclaimed, "w

up his cash box and thrusting his papers and tickets

carrying his l

ake; heads were thrust from out the curtains, and Annixter, hu

was

hing

up, an

ng as Annixter push

ed. What's the matter,

rgency brakes. Just a cow on the track, I

e Westinghouse appliance, the

ller noises of the surroundings. Voices came from the other end of the car, strange and unfamiliar, as though heard at a great distance across the water. The s

topped," observed o

ma again. "Are you sure

sound of hurried footsteps crushing into the clinkers by the side of the

the oth

he aisle and out upon the platform in front. The forward door closed. Everything was qu

The line of cars lay immobilised and inert under the night. One of the drumme

res about and no siding. Bet you the

the p

He don

to take on wood or w

y, this train stopped almost in her own length. Pretty near slung me o

ve, came the sharp, incisive report of a revolver; then two mo

God, boys, they're shootin

e of security like a frightened rabbit hunted from her burrow. Wide-eyed, the passengers of the car looked into each other's faces. It had come to them at last, this, they had so often read about. Now they were

tching Annixter's hand, loo

ve you. By the Lord," he suddenly exclaimed, his excitement getti

sing sack, huddled together like sheep, holding on to each other, looking to the m

rrible. Oh, if they

n looked out from her berth,

to us if we keep quiet. I've my watch and jewelr

quiet, looking about them with eager faces, interested and amused at this

enly declared one of the drummer

nd caugh

ool of yourself

young man; "they are after the Wells-Fargo box and

s going out. He didn't propose to be bunc

end, angrily. "There's women and children in t

the other, allowing himself to be pa

his place by Hilma's side, for the drummer had made as if to o

't open any windows. Keep your head in. You

w up and had leaned out before the oth

engine's gone. We're standing on a curve and you can see the en

another, his friends looked out. Sure e

the pistol. "Now, by jiminy-Christmas, they'll come through the cars

ile ahead of the train, came the sound of a heavy

ting

ve pulled the express and mail car on ahead with

s, sure, that's just

he drummer with the revolver faced about, his eyes bulging. However, it was only the train co

ctor in this c

nded him, voluble with questio

on't you? Well, what more do you want to know? I ain't got time to fool around. They cut off our expre

t him-kill him

e hur

e men g

l you all?" excla

a DOCTOR in this car, th

ed young man s

"and the passengers in this car," he added, turning back at the door and nodding his head

ollowed by the

eemed deserted. Helpless, bereft of its engine, a huge, decapitat

rs, with their nickelled fittings, their plate glass, their upholstery, vestibules, and the like, loaded down w

ere to help them? Their engine was gone; t

he wait seemed endless, and the persistent snoring of the wh

now?" began one of the drummers. "Wonder if

through the car and rob us,

be settled upon, no one knew how, as indisputable. The highwaymen had been four in number and had stopped the train by pulling the bell cord. A brakeman had attempted to interfere and had been shot. The robbers had been on the train all the way from San Franci

to the train again with a reverberating jar that ran from car to car. At the jolting, the school-teachers screamed in chorus, and the whisk

ummer named Max, "I say, my

roared wi

e. We were held up and you slept through

ul, his face purpling. He withdrew his head angrily, buttoning his curtains together in a fury. The cause of his rage was inexplicable, but they could hear him resettling hi

ine's whistle. In a few moments it was tearing away through the dawn at a won

intsch lights, rushing at break-neck speed through the misty rain, were oppressed by a vision of figures of terror, far behind them in the night they had left, masked,

om, lighting a cigarette, and Annixter and the drummers

as shot through the lungs twice. They think the fel

Wasn't there

jumped from the roof of the car down on to the coal on the engine's tender, and crawled over that and held up the men in the cab with his gun, took their guns fro

remember that brakeman that came throug

ook a couple of shots at him, and the fireman says the fellow didn't even take his hand off the coupling-pin; just turned around as cool as how-do-you-do and

ss messenger,

car off, he made the engineer run her up the track about half a mile to a road crossing, WHERE HE HAD A HORSE TIED. What do you think of that? Didn't he have it all figured out close? And when he got there, he dynamited the safe and got the Wells-Fargo box. He took five thousand in gold coin; the messen

away,

ised him positively. We got his ante-mortem statement. The brakeman said the fellow h

Lord!" excla

ame," said th

enormous crowd. The news that the Overland had been held up thirty miles south of Fresno, a brakeman killed and the safe looted, and that Dyke alone was r

eople. S. Behrman was there, Delaney, Cyrus Ruggles, the town marshal, the mayor. Genslinger, his hat on the back of his head, ranged the train from cab to rear-lights, note-book in hand, interviewing, questioning, collecting

ersion of the affa

urned on h

ad. You ruined him and drove him to fill himself up with Caraher's whiskey. He's only taken back what you plundered him of, and now you're going to hound him over the State, hunt him

that stood around, and Genslinger, with an a

anch, Annixter wishing to ask some questions at the freight office about a final consignment of chairs. It was nearly eleven o'clock before they co

Ah, that was a serious business. Good-natured, big, broad-shouldered, jovial Dyke, the man they knew, with whom they had shaken hands only yesterday, yes, and drank with him. He had shot a man, killed him, had stood there in the dark and in the rain while they were asleep in their beds, and had killed a man. Now where was he? Instinctively eyes were turned eastward, over the tops of the houses, or down vistas of side str

City Hall. Fully twenty saddle horses were tied to the iron rail underneath the scant, half-grown trees near by, and as Annixter and Hilma drove by

osse," said

e view, and to the north, in the direction of Osterman's ranch, Vacca made out

ther one is Archie Moore's. He's the sheriff. He cam

The house was one glitter of new white paint, the driveway had been freshly gravelled, the flower-beds replenished

from the carry-all, his eye fell upon a wooden box of some three by

," exclaimed Mrs. Vacca. "We were sure it wasn'

g present," exclaimed Hi

ned her husband. "Here, m'

ixter, hammer in hand, attacked it vigorously. Vacca discreetly withdrew on signal

," cried Hilma, d

ppose could have sent it to us? And so h

bar and the whole top of the box came away in one piece. A layer of excelsior was disclosed, and on it a letter addressed by typewriter to Annixter. It bore th

It isn't anything. Just some machinery. Let it go." But already she had pulled away the

t-" murmured

said Annixter. "It isn't anythin

u wanted to make believe it was machinery. Are you keeping anything

nse eagerness into his face. She half

his League of ours-suppose the Railroad tries to jump Quien Sabe or Los Muertos or any of t

ack fearfully from the case of rifles,

ery and murder, into this atmosphere of alarms, a man-hunt organising, armed horsemen silhouetted against the horizons, cases of rifles where weddin

news. The Executive Committee of the League held a perfunctory meeting at Los Muertos at which nothing but routine business was transacted. A scheme put forward by Osterman for a conference with the railroad managers fell through because of the refusal o

rmed with rifles and revolvers, recruited from Visalia, Goshen, and the few railroad sympathisers around Bonneville and Guadlajara. One after another of these returned, empty-handed, covered with dust and mud, their horses exhausted, to be met and passed by fresh posses starting out to continue the pursuit. The sheriff of Santa Clara County sent down his bloodhounds from San Jose-small, harmless-looking dogs, with a terrific bay-to help in the chase. Reporters from the Sa

ails taken up, but nothing transpired to bring the pursuers and pursued any closer together. Then, after ten days of strain, public interest began to flag. It was believed that Dyke had succeeded in getting away. If this was true, he had gone to the southward, after gaining the mountains, and it would be his intention to work out of the range somewhere near the southern part of the San Joaquin, near Bak

Railroad-and of his own cousin, a real estate broker, named Christian, who knew the mountains and had once been marshal of Visalia in the old stock-raising days. Thes

k on the porch of the ranch house, put down the book and went to find Hilma, who was helping Louisa Vacca set the table for dinner. He found h

ack velvet, and underneath the shadow of its coils, her wide-open eyes, rimmed with the thin, black line of her lashes, shone continually, reflecting the sunlight. Marriage had only accentuated the beautiful maturity of Hilma's figure-now no longer precocious-defining the single, deep swell from her throat to her waist, the strong, fi

ourselves it won't do for us to forget about other people who are down, will it? M

m joyfully. Here was the

all. That's MRS. Dyke-and the little tad. I wouldn't be surprised if they were in a hole over th

nd came around the table an

he carry-all hitched up, and, dispensing with yo

entable desolation of the withered, brown vines, symbols of perish

he quiet was ominous. They peered into the front room from the doorway, Hilma holding her husband's hand. Mrs. Dyke was there. She sat at the table in the middle of the room, her head, with its white hair, down upon her arm. A clutter of unwashed dishes were strewed over the red and white tablecloth. The unkempt room, once a marvel of neatness, had not been cleaned for days. Newspapers, Genslinger's extras and copies of San Francisco and Los Angeles daili

w with Mrs. Dyke that day. Suddenly waking, she had c

ere an

heir offers of assistance. Hilma and Annixter conferred together without lowering their voices, at her very elbow, while she looked vacantly at the floor, drawing one hand over the

ere an

ed Hilma for the fourth time. "Is

is no news. He didn't do it," she moaned, rocking herself back and forth, drawing one hand

ears. Hilma put her arms around the poor, old woman, as sh

now. They don't understand him. They are not even sure that he did this. He never meant it. They don't know my son. Why, he wouldn't have hurt a kitten. Everybody loved him. He was driven to it. They hounded him down, they wouldn't let him alone. He was not right in his mind. They hounded him to it," she cried fiercely, "they hounded him to it. They drove him and goaded him till he couldn't stand it any longer, and now they mean to kill him for turning on them. Th

nt, to be quiet. The tears came again then an

, to have come to this! He was not right in his mind or he would have known

r could catch her papa, that he would come back soon. Hilma took them both, the little child and th

looking straight before him into the wilderness of dea

h all this," he muttered. "I hope h

red to him. He turned abo

ging you to death. I want you to let me take care of you and the little tad till all this trouble of yours is over with. There's plenty of place for you. You can have the house my wife's people used to live in. You've got to look these things in the fac

t her spirit was broken. The whole affair ended unexpectedly, with Annixter and

k, Hilma helping her, and Annixter stowed the trunk under the carry-all's back seat. Mrs. Dyke turned the key in the door of the house and Annixter helped her to her seat beside his wife. They drove thr

Quien Sabe-Mrs. Dyke and Sidney having been installed in the T

e thought of being kind to Mrs. Dyke and Sidney a little while ago. You wouldn't have thought of them at all. But you did now, and it's just because you love

is, Hilma,"

Vacca came to the door of the dining-room to say that Harran Derrick had telephoned over from

important," ad

ews from Washingto

Annixter. It was for the purpose of considering the new grain tariff prepared by the Railroad Commissioners. Lyman had written that the schedule of this tariff had just been issued, that he had not been able

d. It could not be known who would overhear conversations carried on over the lines. He assured Magnus that he would be on hand. The time for the Committee meeting had been set for seven o'clock

frock coat. Whiskey bottles and siphons of soda-water were within easy reach. Presley, who by now was considered the confidential friend of every member of the Committee, lounged as before on the sofa, smoking cigarettes, the cat Nathalie on his knee. Besides Magnus and Annixter, Osterman was present, and old Broderson and Harra

. I have sent my team to meet him at Bonneville," explained Magnus,

minutes of the previous meeting. The treasurer was making his repo

e and remained standing while the three exchanged greetings, the members, some of

of patent leather, reflected the lamplight, and he carried a drab overcoat over his arm. Before being introduced to the Committee, he excused himsel

n upon the grave, clumsy farmers before whom he stood. But at the same time, Presley, watching him from his place on the sofa, could imagine that he was rather nervous. He was too nimble in his co

yman, my eldest son. Mr.

up a flow of small talk, finding a new phrase for each member, complimenting Osterman, whom he already knew, upon his talent for organisation, recallin

-the ranchers-had succeeded in seating had at length issued the new schedule of reduced rates, and that Mr. Derrick had been obliging enough to

, he said, to disarrange the regular proceedings of the Committee. Would it not be preferable to defer the reading of his report till "new business" was called for? In the meanwhile, l

the reading of a column of figures," m

s decision." He sat down, tou

all," growl

hearing and considering the new grain tariff, he was of the opinion that routine

n the course of his speech, he began to insinuate the idea that the wheat-growers had never expected to settle their difficulties with the Railroad by the work of a single commission; that they had counted upon a long, continued campaign of many years, railway commission succeeding railway com

upon this well-dressed, city-bred young man, who spoke so fluently and who told them of their own int

to an average ten per cent. reduction in rates for the carriage of grain by the Pacific and Southwestern Railroad, we have rigidly adhered to the demands of our constituency, we have obeyed the People. The main problem has not yet been completely solved; that is for later, when we shall have gathered sufficient strength to attack the enemy in his very stronghold; BUT AN AVERAGE TEN PER CENT. CUT HAS BEEN

and ignoring the Governor's reproof, "hasn't your

cent. all over the State," rejoined Lyma

s valise and passed

Mayfield and Oakland, for instance, has

here," exclaimed Annixter, looking up from the schedule, "where is there any reduction in rates in the San Joaquin-from Bonneville

could cut rates in the San Joaquin the very first move; that is for later. But you will see we made very material reduction

ixter, "no one ever s

; the St. Helena rate fifty cents, and please notice the very drastic cut

is shipped in a year," comme

returned Lyman courteously. "And for the matter of that, a

ven pretend to preside. In the growing excitement over the inexplic

rrect? You have not cut rates in the San Joaquin at all. We-these gentlemen here and mys

nt. cut all right, but you've made it by cutting grain rates between points where practically no grain is shipped. We, the wheat-growers in the San Joaquin, where all

" returned Lyman, "has already lodg

tered a der

elgrim is an injunction from the courts preventing the order for new rates from taking effect. By the Lord," he cried angrily, leap

?" demanded Osterman and Gethin

ties of his office and rapping his knuckles on the table. "

ent. cut on grain rates. We have done it. Only because you don't benefit

ym

o his full six feet. His eyes were flashing dir

hat does

spread out

told you that this question of transportation was difficult. You would not wis

r rates in the valley

hed IN TIME. The main point was AN AVERAGE TEN PER CENT. REDUCTION. Rates WILL be lowered in the San Joaquin. The ranchers around Bonneville wil

d you care about rates up in Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties? Not a whoop in hell. It was the San Joaquin rate we were fightin

ow, sir-"

out. It's because the P. and S. W. have had their spoon in this boiling. It's because our commissi

had not expected this so soon. For the fraction of one instant he l

en?" cried Harran, who, u

in which to discuss business. The Commission has fulfilled its obligations. It has adjusted rates t

n in the offices of the Pacific and Southwestern and you know it. It's a scheme of rates

rds. All the men in the room were on the

Magnus, "are we schoolboys,

rmers and we've been be

isted Harran, leaning across the table toward his brothe

ou've expected too much. Next year,-next year,-soon now, the Commission will take up t

sir?" deman

sation, almost of faintness, had seized u

g. But Magnus did not listen. In that brief lapse of time he was convinced that the terrible thing had happened, that the unbelievable had come to pass. It was in the air. Between father and son, in some subtle fashion, the truth that was

r as Chairman of the Committee I speak to you, you a member of the Railroad Commission. It is your father who speaks, and I address you as my son. Do you

nothing to

an Joaquin? You have not reduced rat

said before. An avera

or no. Have you reduc

done so soon. G

e equivocate with me? Yes or no; ha

N

oss the table, "answer ME. Were you paid by the

ever, turned furiou

put that quest

use I'll TELL you to your villain'

alone keeping his place. The others were in a group before Lyman, crowding him, as it were, to the wall, shouting into his face with men

sterman. "You've sold us out, you, and if you ever bring that

the aggressiveness of the cornered rat flaming u

? How much were you pai

de themselves with anger; their words came harsh from between the

od faith," retorted Lyman. "You know

He tripped over his valise and fell half way, his back supported against the closed door of the room. Magnus sprang forward. His son had been struck, and the instincts of a father rose up in instant protest; rose for a moment, then forever died away in his heart. He ch

man, intervened, pulli

't do. Not befo

Magnus. "From now on, I have but one son. You, si

array, caught up his hat and coat. He was shaking with fury,

nour? How is it that all at once you're so clean and straight? You weren't so particular at Sacramento just before the nominations. How was the Board elected? I'm a bribe-eater

t, slammin

d him and stepped out on the porch of the ranch house, closing the door behind him. Lyman was nowhere in sight. Presley was alone. It was late, and after the lamp-heated air of the dining-room, the coolness of

resley's mind, the scene in the room he had just left dwindled to paltry insignificance before this sight. Ah, yes, the Wheat-it was over this that the Railroad, the ranchers, the traitor false to his trust, all the members of an obscure conspiracy, were wrangling. As if human agency could affect this colossal power! What were these heated, tiny squabbles, this feverish, small bustle of mankind, this minute swa