Burr came over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "When you come to
think of it, Ben," he said, "it's no great matter."

"Then what steps have you taken about it?"

Nicholas's arm fell to his side. "I have done nothing. What's the use?"

Galt strode to the window and back again to the fireplace. His eyes were
blazing. "The use? Why, man, use or no use, I'll send the last one of
them to hell, but they'll stop it! It's Rann--Rann from the beginning.
I'd take my oath on it--but I'm his match, and he'll find it out. I'll
have Diggs retract this lie by six o'clock this evening or I'll--"

He checked himself abruptly. "How long have you had this?"

"A half-hour. The speech goes in the evening papers."

"A half-hour! And you sit here snivelling about your lynching. Why, what
are the necks of ten such devils worth to your good name? When I come to
think of it, I'd like to lend a hand at a lynching myself. If I had Rann
here--"

The governor laughed dryly. "To tell the truth, my dear fellow, I don't
take it seriously. The people know me."

Galt uttered an angry exclamation and flung out his hand. "Oh, give
over, Nick," he implored. "Don't drive me to frenzy! I can't stand much
more."

He took up a sheet of paper and wrote several lines in pencil. "After
all, I've been thinking to some purpose," he said. "Judge Bassett is the
man we need. I'll telegraph to him from your office, and I'll have his
reply scattered broadcast. If it riddles Webb like shot, I'll have it
out."

"Oh, it isn't Webb," said Nicholas. He was looking into the fire, but as
the door closed behind Galt he turned and seated himself at his desk.
The law-book he had been reading lay to one side, and he opened it and
followed up the question that perplexed him. His face was grave, but his
eyes were shot with light. When Galt came back he entered slowly and
hesitated an instant before speaking, then he said:

"There's bad news, Nick. The judge has had a stroke of paralysis. He is
now unconscious. Tom can't be reached, and you--"

Nicholas took out his watch. "I have fifteen minutes in which to make
that train," was his answer. "Will you tell Dickson to repeat all
messages?" Then, as Galt followed him into the hall, he looked back and
spoke again. "Until to-morrow," he said, and went out.

Galt delivered the message to Dickson and walked uptown to Webb's house,
where he expected to find him. He had not lunched, and he remembered
suddenly that N