" he cried, "as chairman of the committee of
notification, I desire to report that I have 'tended to my duties
in so far as I could to date. But there has things happened that I
can't figger out, and for which I ain't responsible. There ain't no
time now for ifs, buts, or ands. That train is too near. A certain
prominunt citizen that I don't need to name is thinkin' of takin'
that train when he ain't fit to do so. There'll be time to talk it
over afterward."

Cap'n Sproul was backing away to turn the corner of the station.

"I call on all of ye as a posse," bawled Mr. Nute. "Bring along your
halters and don't use no vi'lence."

Samson himself, even though his weapon had been the jaw-bone of a
megatherium, couldn't have resisted that onrush of the willing
populace. In five minutes, the Cap'n, trussed hand and foot, and
crowded in between Constables Nute and Wade, was riding back toward
Smyrna town house, helpless as a veal calf bound for market.

"Now," resumed Mr. Nute, calmly, "now that you're with us, Cap'n,
and seem to be quieted down a little, I'll perceed to execute the
errunt put upon me as chairman of the notification committee."

With Mr. Wade driving slowly, he read the newspaper clipping that
sounded the clarion call that summoned men of probity to public
office, and at the close formally notified Cap'n Sproul that he had
been elected first selectman of Smyrna. He did all this without
enthusiasm, and sighed with official relief when it was over.

"And," he wound up, "it is the sentiment of this town that there ain't
another man in it so well qualified to lead us up out of the valley
of darkness where we've been wallerin'. We have called our
Cincinnatus to his duty."

They had come around a bend of the road and now faced Colonel Ward,
stumping along stolidly through the slush, following the trail of
his team.

"That's the way he ought to be," roared the Colonel. "Rope him up!
Put ox-chains on him. And I'll give a thousand dollars to build an
iron cage for him. You're all crazy and he's your head lunatic."

Mr. Nute, inwardly, during all the time that he had been so calmly
addressing his captive, was tortured with cruel doubts as to the
Cap'n's sanity. But he believed in discharging his duty first. And
he remembered that insane people were more easily prevailed upon by
those who appeared to make no account of their whims.

During it all, Cap'n Sproul had been silent in utter amazement. The
truth had