iles over there--twenty-five to thirty."

Bannon looked at his watch. "We ought to get there by ten o'clock, I
should think."

"Ten o'clock! What do you think she is--a sawhorse! She never took more
than two hours to Manistogee in her life."

The corners of Bannon's mouth twitched expressively. Sloan laughed again.
"I guess it's up to me this time," he said.

Before they started Sloan telephoned to the Eagle office to tell them to
print a full-sized reproduction of his poster on the front page of the
Ledyard Evening Eagle.

"Crowd their news a little, won't it?" Bannon asked.

Sloan shook his head. "That helps 'em out in great shape."

The Eagle did not keep them waiting. The moment Sloan pulled up his
impatient mare before the office door, the editor ran out, bareheaded, in
the rain, with the posters.

"They're pretty wet yet," he said.

"That's all right. I only want a handful. Send the others to my office.
They know what to do with 'em."

"I was glad to print them," the editor went on deferentially. "You have
expressed our opinion of the G.&M. exactly."

"Guess I did," said Sloan as they drove away. "The reorganized G.&M.
decided they didn't want to carry him around the country on a pass."

Bannon pulled out one of the sheets and opened it on his knee. He whistled
as he read the first sentence, and swore appreciatively over the next.
When he had finished, he buttoned the waterproof apron and rubbed his wet
hands over his knees. "It's grand," he said. "I never saw anything like
it."

Sloan spoke to the mare. He had held her back as they jolted over the worn
pavement of cedar blocks, but now they had reached the city limits and
were starting out upon the rain-beaten sand. She was a tall, clean-limbed
sorrel, a Kentucky-bred Morgan, and as she settled into her stride, Bannon
watched her admiringly. Her wet flanks had the dull sheen of bronze.

"Don't tell me," said Sloan, "that Michigan roads are no good for driving.
You never had anything finer than this in your life." They sped along as
on velvet, noiselessly save when their wheels sliced through standing
pools of water. "She can keep this up till further notice, I suppose,"
said Bannon. Sloan nodded.

Soon they reached the first crossroad. There was a general store at one
corner, and, opposite, a blacksmith's shop. Sloan pulled up and Bannon
sprang out with a hammer, a mouthful of tacks, and three or four of the
posters. He put them up on the shelte