ncerned.

On the way home Councill shouted back at the young men riding with
Jennings: "Now's a good time for you young chaps t' take the field and
lectioneer while we nominees wear biled collars, and set in the parlor
winder."

"What you want to do is stay at home and dig taters," shouted Milton.
"A biled collar would defeat any one of yeh, dead sure."

This was, in fact, the plan of the campaign.

Amos Ridings assumed practical direction of it.

"Now we don't want a candidate to go out--not once. Every man stay at
home and not open his head. We'll do the work. You tend your knittin'
and we'll elect yeh."

The boys went out on Friday nights, to electioneer for the Granger
ticket, as it was called.

"It's boss fun," Milton said to his father. "It's ahead o' husking
corn. It does tickle me to see the future sheriff of the county diggin'
pertaters while I'm ridin' around in my best clo'es makin' speeches."

"We'll have the whip-row on you when we get into office," replied Mr.
Jennings.

"Don't crow till y'r out o' the woods," laughed Milton.

The boys really aroused considerable enthusiasm, and each had stanch
admirers, though they were entirely opposed in style. Milton told a
great many funny stories, and went off on what he considered to be the
most approved oratorical flights. He called on the farmers to stand
together. He asked them whether it was fair that the town should have
all the offices. In short, he made very taking political harangues.

Bradley always arose in the same slow way. He was a little heavy in
getting started. His deep voice was thick and husky at beginning, but
cleared as he went on. His words came slowly, as if each were an iron
weight. He dealt in facts--or what he believed to be facts. He had
carefully collated certain charges which had been made against the
officials of the county, and in his perfectly fearless way of stating
them, there was immense power.

VIII.

BRADLEY OFFENDS NETTIE'S FATHER.

It was a singular thing to see the farmers suddenly begin to ask
themselves why they should stand quietly by while the townsmen
monopolized all the offices and defied the farmers to make a change.
They laughed at the charges of chicanery in office, and openly said
that "no man with corns on his hands and hayseed in his hair can be
elected to office in the county." This speech was of the greatest value
to the young champions. It became their text.

The speech that made Bradl