-builders and successful
tradesmen. Possibly, some day, if they succeeded in making money, they
might become town councillors themselves! but in the meantime public
affairs were no particular concern of theirs. So some of them voted
for Adam Sweater because he was a Liberal and some of them voted
against him for the same 'reason'.

Now and then, when details of some unusually scandalous proceeding of
the Council's leaked out, the townspeople--roused for a brief space
from their customary indifference--would discuss the matter in a
casual, half-indignant, half-amused, helpless sort of way; but always
as if it were something that did not directly concern them. It was
during some such nine days' wonder that the title of 'The Forty
Thieves' was bestowed on the members of the Council by their
semi-imbecile constituents, who, not possessing sufficient intelligence
to devise means of punishing the culprits, affected to regard the
manoeuvres of the Brigands as a huge joke.

There was only one member of the Council who did not belong to the
Band--Councillor Weakling, a retired physician; but unfortunately he
also was a respectable man. When he saw something going forwards that
he did not think was right, he protested and voted against it and
then--he collapsed! There was nothing of the low agitator about HIM.
As for the Brigands, they laughed at his protests and his vote did not
matter.

With this one exception, the other members of the band were very
similar in character to Sweater, Rushton, Didlum and Grinder. They had
all joined the Band with the same objects, self-glorification and the
advancement of their private interests. These were the real reasons
why they besought the ratepayers to elect them to the Council, but of
course none of them ever admitted that such was the case. No! When
these noble-minded altruists offered their services to the town they
asked the people to believe that they were actuated by a desire to give
their time and abilities for the purpose of furthering the interests of
Others, which was much the same as asking them to believe that it is
possible for the leopard to change his spots.

Owing to the extraordinary apathy of the other inhabitants, the
Brigands were able to carry out their depredations undisturbed.
Daylight robberies were of frequent occurrence.

For many years these Brigands had looked with greedy eyes upon the huge
profits of the Gas Company. They thought it was a bea