well," Baker acquiesced; "but I'd advise you to tackle Orde at
once. Time is short. Try out your club to see if it will work."

"It will work!" stated Oldham confidently.

"Of course," remarked Baker, relaxing abruptly his attitude, physical
and mental, and lighting a cigar, "of course, it is all very well to
yank the temples down around the merry Philistines, but it doesn't do
your Uncle Samson much good. We can raise hell with Welton and Orde and
a half-dozen others, and we will, if they push us too hard--but that
don't keep us the Basin if this crazy reformer testifies and pulls in
Welton to corroborate him. I'd rather keep the Basin. If we could stop
Orde----"

"I'll stop him," said Oldham.

"I hope," said Baker impressively, "that you have more than one string
to your bow. I am not inquiring into your methods, you understand"--his
pause was so significantly long at this point, that Oldham nodded--"_but
your sole job is to keep Orde out of court_."

Baker looked his agent squarely in the eye for fifteen seconds. Then
abruptly he dropped his gaze.

"That's all," said he, and reached for some papers.

XXIV

Oldham obeyed his principal's orders by joining Bob on the train back to
the city. He dropped down by the young man's side, produced a cigar
which he rolled between his lips, but did not light, and at once opened
up the subject of his negotiations.

"I wish to point out to you, with your permission," he began, "just
where you stand in this matter. In the confusion and haste of a busy
time you may not have cast up your accounts. First," he checked off the
point on his long, slender forefinger, "in injuring Mr. Baker in this
ill-advised fashion you are injuring your old-time employer and friend,
Mr. Welton, and this in two ways: you are jeopardizing his whole
business, and you are rendering practically certain his conviction on a
criminal charge. Mr. Welton is an old man, a simple man, and a kindly
man; this thing is likely to kill him." Oldham glanced keenly at the
young man's sombre face, and went on. "Second"--he folded back his
middle finger--"you are injuring your own father, also in two ways: you
are bringing his lawful property into danger, and you are giving his
political enemies the most effective sort of a weapon to swing in his
coming campaign. And do not flatter yourself they will not make the best
of it. It happens that your father has stood strongly with the
Conservation members in th