rtly without words, and Shelby ran perfunctorily
through his mail. Presently he raised his eyes and met Bowers's gloomy
scrutiny lowering through the fog.

"You look like a hired mourner," he remarked, swirling the smoke.

"I feel like a real one."

"Well, don't wear your weeds so conspicuously. The enemy will imagine
they have us scared."

Bowers swore listlessly.

"They have."

"Don't include me. I've a little sand left, I hope."

"It's the most serious fight we've ever had in the district. It's so
unexpected. And I can't see how we are to blame. The organization
backed your nomination cordially. We couldn't foresee that Volney
Sprague would make trouble, any more than we could know that O'Rourke
would gorge himself to apoplexy. And who, for the love of heaven,
would have thought Bernard Graves would step into Chuck O'Rourke's
shoes! I've been in politics for thirty years, Ross, with my fair
share of good luck and bad, but I've never been up against the equal of
this. It's--it's--" He broke off in despair of adequate
characterization.

"Brace up, brace up. You need a brandy and soda."

"I've had two."

"Then take a glass of milk," rallied Shelby; "paregoric, boneset tea,
anything. I'm ashamed of you."

Bowers smiled wanly.

"You're a younger man, Ross. You can rebound. I can't any more. I'm
too old. I--I've lost confidence in myself."

"I haven't lost confidence in myself," ejaculated Shelby. "No such
alliance of thugs and goody-goods shall down me. I'm in this game to
stay and to win."

His stout words in some degree bolstered the discouraged veteran, and
they turned presently to a discussion of ways and means. The outlook
was not cheering. The fusion of the opposition had fallen at a time
when the funds collected to meet the exigencies of an ordinary campaign
had been mainly expended.

"The State Committee must help," declared Shelby. "There's no valid
reason why they shouldn't. The corporations have given them everything
they asked this year."

"I sounded the Boss. He was not encouraging."

"Damn him," said Shelby, "what does he want?" That question would
recur.

"We have raised everything locally that our people will stand, and you
may say that of the Demijohn generally. If there's more to be got, it
must come from those most concerned."

"You mean me, I suppose?"

"It's your political future that's at stake."

Shelby drummed his desk. By and by, taking his