ght and cornered
Mr. Bascom.

"For God's sake, Brush," cries the Honourable Elisha, "hasn't this thing
gone far enough? A little of it is all right--the boys understand that;
but have you thought what it means to you and me if these blanked
reformers get in,--if a feller like Austen Vane is nominated?"

That cold, hard glitter which we have seen was in Mr. Bascom's eyes.

"You fellers have got the colic," was the remark of the arch-rebel. "Do
you think old Hilary doesn't know what he's about?"

"It looks that way to me," said Mr. Jane.

"It looks that way to Doby too, I guess," said Mr. Bascom, with a glance
of contempt at the general; "he's lost about fifteen pounds to-day. Did
Hilary send you down here?" he demanded.

"No," Mr. Jane confessed.

"Then go back and chase yourself around the platform some more," was Mr.
Bascom's unfeeling advice, "and don't have a fit here. All the brains in
this hall are in Hilary's room. When he's ready to talk business with me
in behalf of the Honourable Giles Henderson, I guess he'll do so."

But fear had entered the heart of the Honourable Elisha, and there was a
sickly feeling in the region of his stomach which even the strong
medicine administered by the Honourable Brush failed to alleviate. He
perceived Senator Whitredge, returned from the Pelican. But the advice
--if any--the president of the Northeastern has given the senator is not
forthcoming in practice. Mr. Flint, any more than Ulysses himself, cannot
recall the tempests when his own followers have slit the bags--and in
sight of Ithaca! Another conference at the back of the stage, out of
which emerges State Senator Nat Billings and gets the ear of General
Doby.

"Let 'em yell," says Mr. Billings--as though the general, by raising one
adipose hand, could quell the storm. Eyes are straining, scouts are
watching at the back of the hall and in the street, for the first glimpse
of the dreaded figure of Mr. Thomas Gaylord. "Let 'em yell;" counsels Mr.
Billings, "and if they do nominate anybody nobody'll hear 'em. And send
word to Putnam County to come along on their fifth ballot."

It is Mr. Billings himself who sends word to Putnam County, in the name
of the convention's chairman. Before the messenger can reach Putnam
County another arrives on the stage, with wide pupils, "Tom Gaylord is
coming!" This momentous news, Marconi-like, penetrates the storm, and is
already on the floor. Mr. Widgeon and Mr. Redbrook are pushi