rose and fell and swelled again.
Bentley became the center of a struggling vortex of roaring humanity and
found himself tossed hither and thither like a chip in a choppy sea.

It was many minutes before the clerk could proceed with the roll-call.
When his name was reached James said "Hardy" in a clear distinct voice
that brought from the gallery a round of applause sharply checked by the
presiding officer. Killen gave his vote for Frome tremulously and shrank
from the storm he had evoked. Rawson could be seen standing on his
seat, one foot on the top of his desk, shaking his fist at him in purple
apoplectic rage, the while his voice rose above the tumult, "You damned
Judas! You damned little traitor!"

The presiding officer beat in vain with his gavel for quiet. Not until
they had worn themselves to momentary exhaustion could the roll-call be
continued.

Miller and Pitts voted for Frome and stirred renewed shouts of support
and execration.

"Takes one more change to elect Frome. All depends on Reilly now,"
Rawson whispered hoarsely to Jeff. "If he sticks we're safe for another
twenty-four hours."

But Reilly, knowing the decisive moment had come, voted for Frome and
gave him the one more needed to elect. Pandemonium was loose at once.
The Transcontinental forces surrounded him and fought off the excited
men he had betrayed who tried to get at him to make him change his vote.
The culminating moment of months of battle had come and mature men
gave themselves to the abandon of the moment like college boys after a
football game.

When at last the storm had subsided Ashton, who had seen several
thousand dollars go glimmering because his initial came at the beginning
of the alphabet instead of at the close, in the hope of still getting
into the bandwagon in time moved to make the election unanimous. His
suggestion was rejected with hoots of derision, and Frome made the
conventional speech of acceptance to a House divided against itself.

Jeff joined his cousin as he was descending the steps to the lower hall.
"Don't blame yourself, old man. It would have happened anyhow in a day
or two. They were looking for a chance to desert. We couldn't have held
them. Better luck next time."

James found cold comfort in such consolation. He was dissatisfied with
the part he had played in the final drama. Instead of being the hero
of the hour, he was the unfortunate whose blunder had started the
avalanche. Yet he was gratified w