to keep the Patriarch under cover
for two or three days, while they hang around working themselves into a
frenzy. And when they do see him they have to scramble for it. You don't
lead him out to them--ever. Make them waylay him when you take him for
a walk--make them crawl and hop and show they've got faith, make them
believe they've got faith themselves--we'll get some more cures, or
near-cures anyway, that way, and we won't get them any other way, and
we've got to have some sort of cures coming along fairly regularly. Do
you get me, Flopper? If there's a party on a cot a hundred yards away
and he begs you to bring the Patriarch to him, say him nay. Everybody
has got to get into the reserved paddock by themselves--tell them that
no man can be cured who has not got the faith to reach the Patriarch by
himself--tell them to get up and _walk_ to him--tell them what you did."

"Swipe me!" said the Flopper. "Say, Doc, youse are de one an' only. I
gotcher--put it up to _dem_ everytime."

"Exactly," said Madison. "It's their move every minute--make them feel
that if they don't get what they're after it's their own fault--that
it's their own lack of faith that's to blame. And the longer they have
to wait to see the Patriarch, the more they become impressed that faith
is necessary, and--oh, well, psychology is the greatest jollier of them
all."

"Eh?" inquired the Flopper. "I ain't on dere, Doc."

"It's very simple," smiled Madison, "They'll want to convince themselves
that they _have_ got faith, that it's all bottled up and ready to have
the cork drawn when called for, and they'll prove it to themselves by
laying an offering upon the shrine as evidence of faith _before_ the
goods are delivered."

"I gotcher!" said the Flopper enthusiastically. "Why say, Doc, dat's de
way I'd do meself--swipe me, if I wouldn't!"

"That's the way nearly everybody would do," said Madison, laughing.
"There's at least a few similar kinks common to our noble race--we're
busy most of the time trying to fool ourselves one way or another. Well,
that's about all. I can't lay out a programme for every minute of the
day--you and Helena have got to use your heads and work along that
general idea. You play up your gratitude strong. And, oh yes--keep the
altar box well baited. Let Helena put some of her near-diamond rings and
joujabs in until we collect some genuine ones--and then keep the genuine
ones going--change every day for variety, you know. And