Osterman. "We make it worth Disbrow's while to do
it. We go to him and say, 'Mr. Disbrow, you manage the politics for the
Mojave railroad, and what you say goes with your Board of Directors. We
want you to adopt our candidate for Railroad Commissioner for the third
district. How much do you want for doing it?' I KNOW we can buy Disbrow.
That gives us one Commissioner. We need not bother about that any
more. In the first district we don't make any move at all. We let the
political managers of the P. and S. W. nominate whoever they like.
Then we concentrate all our efforts to putting in our man in the second
district. There is where the big fight will come."

"I see perfectly well what you mean, Mr. Osterman," observed Magnus,
"but make no mistake, sir, as to my attitude in this business. You may
count me as out of it entirely."

"Well, suppose we win," put in Annixter truculently, already
acknowledging himself as involved in the proposed undertaking; "suppose
we win and get low rates for hauling grain. How about you, then? You
count yourself IN then, don't you? You get all the benefit of lower
rates without sharing any of the risks we take to secure them. No,
nor any of the expense, either. No, you won't dirty your fingers with
helping us put this deal through, but you won't be so cursed particular
when it comes to sharing the profits, will you?"

Magnus rose abruptly to his full height, the nostrils of his thin,
hawk-like nose vibrating, his smooth-shaven face paler than ever.

"Stop right where you are, sir," he exclaimed. "You forget yourself,
Mr. Annixter. Please understand that I tolerate such words as you have
permitted yourself to make use of from no man, not even from my guest. I
shall ask you to apologise."

In an instant he dominated the entire group, imposing a respect that was
as much fear as admiration. No one made response. For the moment he was
the Master again, the Leader. Like so many delinquent school-boys, the
others cowered before him, ashamed, put to confusion, unable to find
their tongues. In that brief instant of silence following upon Magnus's
outburst, and while he held them subdued and over-mastered, the fabric
of their scheme of corruption and dishonesty trembled to its base. It
was the last protest of the Old School, rising up there in denunciation
of the new order of things, the statesman opposed to the politician;
honesty, rectitude, uncompromising integrity, prevailing for the last
ti