he company has any right to issue such a rule.
This road runs through several States. Do you know what State we are in
now, and what its laws are in matters of this kind?'

'Its laws do not concern me, but the company's orders do. It is my duty
to stop this game, gentlemen, and it must be stopped.'

'Possibly; but still there is no hurry. In hotels they post certain
rules in the rooms, but they always quote passages from the State law
as authority for these requirements. I see nothing posted here of this
sort. Please produce your authority and let us arrive at a decision, for
you see yourself that you are marring the game.'

'I have nothing of the kind, but I have my orders, and that is
sufficient. They must be obeyed.'

'Let us not jump to conclusions. It will be better all around to examine
into the matter without heat or haste, and see just where we stand
before either of us makes a mistake--for the curtailing of the liberties
of a citizen of the United States is a much more serious matter than
you and the railroads seem to think, and it cannot be done in my person
until the curtailer proves his right to do so. Now--'

'My dear sir, will you put down those cards?'

'All in good time, perhaps. It depends. You say this order must be
obeyed. Must. It is a strong word. You see yourself how strong it is.
A wise company would not arm you with so drastic an order as this, of
course, without appointing a penalty for its infringement. Otherwise it
runs the risk of being a dead letter and a thing to laugh at. What is
the appointed penalty for an infringement of this law?'

'Penalty? I never heard of any.'

'Unquestionably you must be mistaken. Your company orders you to come
here and rudely break up an innocent amusement, and furnishes you no way
to enforce the order! Don't you see that that is nonsense? What do you
do when people refuse to obey this order? Do you take the cards away
from them?'

'No.'

'Do you put the offender off at the next station?'

'Well, no--of course we couldn't if he had a ticket.'

'Do you have him up before a court?'

The conductor was silent and apparently troubled. The Major started a
new deal, and said:

'You see that you are helpless, and that the company has placed you in
a foolish position. You are furnished with an arrogant order, and you
deliver it in a blustering way, and when you come to look into the
matter you find you haven't any way of enforcing obedience.'

The cond