'little
brothers'?"

At another time Blount might have been less angry, and, by consequence,
more discreet.

"No, it wasn't any of the 'little brothers'; it was Mr. Simon P.
Hathaway, president of the Twin Buttes Lumber Company."

Gantry drew a long breath which ended in a low whistle.

"So that's what you were let in for, was it?" he exclaimed, and then he
checked himself abruptly and went back to the original contention. "But
you're not going to throw down your tools and walk out, Evan. You can't
afford to do that."

"Why can't I?"

"Because you have committed yourself right and left. No man can afford
to drop out of the ranks on the eve of a battle. You are not stopping to
consider the construction which will be put upon any such hasty action
on your part."

"I am not stopping to consider anything, Dick, save the fact that I was
evidently expected to connive at a cynical and criminal disregard for
the law of the land, the law which, as a member of the bar, I have sworn
to uphold and defend. That is enough for me. I don't have to be knocked
down and run over before I can realize that it's time to get out of the
way."

"You say it's enough for you; it won't be enough for Mr. McVickar,"
Gantry interposed. "If you could afford to drop out--and I'm not
admitting that you can--he couldn't afford to let you." Then, with
sudden gravity: "Hadn't you better let me hold up that telegram of yours
for a few hours, Evan, until you've had time to cool down and think it
over?"

Blount sprang from his chair in a white heat.

"Do you mean to tell me that you are already holding it up?" he
demanded.

"I took the liberty of holding it up--temporarily," confessed the
traffic man coolly. "There is no harm done. Mr. McVickar is on his way
West now, and he will be here in a day or two. Why not kill the message
and have it out with him in person when he comes?"

Blount was not to be so easily appeased.

"I won't have my communications tampered with!" he exploded. "If you
have given an order to have that telegram held out, you can give another
to have it sent immediately!"

"All right," said Gantry; "just as you say." And he made no effort to
detain the enraged one who was turning his back and striding away. But
after the self-discharged political manager was gone, the traffic man
chuckled quietly and turned up a square of paper which had been lying on
his desk during the short and belligerent interview.

"It's a nice la