y
boy, don't worry. You may know baseball better than I do--but you've
hit something I know about. I think I can handle this McCarthy. I
believe you can get ready to deliver those votes. I must be going now."

"I'm going to send for that pitcher I've got fixed, to-night," said
Edwards.

"Have him down about ten, or a little later," suggested Baldwin
genially as he arose to leave.

It was the arrival of Baldwin in the barroom to attend the meeting with
Adonis Williams and Easy Ed Edwards that Silent Swanson and Kohinoor
McCarthy saw--and it was well for McCarthy's peace of mind that he did
not hear what transpired at that meeting.

CHAPTER X

_Williams Caught in the Net_

Baldwin, by nature, was pompous and patronizing. In his capacity as
political boss, representing certain more or less questionable
financial interests, he distributed political patronage with an air of
one bestowing great favors personally.

Baldwin's rise to riches and to a certain degree of power had been a
strange one. He had been a bartender, and had by a certain selfish
economy and "touching the till" acquired sufficient money to purchase
the saloon in which he was employed from the honest German who had
trusted him almost to the verge of bankruptcy. Certain wealthy men and
some others interested in public utilities had seen in Baldwin a proper
catspaw, and, in a small way, had used him in politics. From that he
had developed quickly into an official collector of graft money from
disorderly houses, saloons, and gamblers.

Baldwin had become more and more independent financially and more
powerful politically as he learned the game. He was shrewd and quick
to learn. His share of the collections became larger and larger until
in time he was admitted to the higher circle of graft, and, having
served his apprenticeship, he had others to collect for him and take
the greater risk of going to prison. Eventually, by cunning catering
to big interests, he became the political boss of his city, stockholder
in several public utilities, and head of a brokerage firm, which he
maintained more to account for his possession of wealth than to do
business, although favored in many instances in bond deals. His
purchase of stock in baseball clubs had been incidental. He knew
little of the game and cared less. He was satisfied with the large
returns on the stock and avoided publicity in advertising himself as
owner of either team through fe