e of marrying and settling down. Then the
Boss cleaned me out." Murphy chuckled.

"How was that?" asked Dennis. Mrs. Flynn began to clear the table very
slowly.

"Well, this is the way of it," and Murphy told the story of his first
meeting with Jim. "I've seen him in action, you see," he concluded, "and
I'd be sorry for Fleckenstein if he crosses the Boss's path."

"Jim'll never trouble himself to kick the jackal!" said Uncle Denny.

"Huh! You don't know that boy. There was a look in his eye this
morning--God help Fleckenstein if he meets the Big Boss--but he'll avoid
the Boss like poison."

Uncle Denny shook his head. "What kind is Fleckenstein?"

"What kind of a man would be countenancing a letter like that?" Then
Murphy laughed. "The first time I ever saw Fleckenstein he was riding in
the stage that ran west from Cabillo. Bill Evans was driving and
Fleckenstein got to knocking this country and telling about the real
folks back East. Bill stood it for an hour, then he turned round and
said: 'Why, damn your soul, we make better men than you in this country
out of binding wire! What do you say to that?' And Fleckenstein shut
up."

Uncle Denny chuckled. "Have a cigar? Is Jim making any headway in this
'silent campaign' I'm hearing about?"

"Thanks," said Murphy. "Well, he is and he ain't. He's got a great
personality and everybody who gets his number will eat sand for him. He
made a great speech at Cabillo, time of the Hearing. He said the dam
was his thumb-print--kind of like the mounds the Injuns left, I guess.
People are kind of coupling that speech up now with him when they meet
him and they are beginning to have their doubts about his dishonesty.
But I don't believe he can get his other idea across on the farmers and
rough-necks in time to lick Fleckenstein."

"And what is his other idea?" asked Dennis.

Murphy smoked and stared into space for a time before he answered. "I
can best tell you that by giving you an incident. I went with Ames and
the Boss while he called on a farmer named Marshall. Marshall is a
bright man and no drinker. He has been loud in his howls about the Boss
being incompetent and kicking about the farmer having to pay the
building charges. Marshall was cleaning his buckboard and the Boss, sort
of easy like, picks up a brush and starts to brush the cushion.

"'My father used to make me sweep the chicken coop,' says the Boss. 'We
were too poor to keep a horse. If I couldn't build a da