cast to-day is an answer that shall go flying to
the farthest corner of your world, an answer you can never hope to
change so long as you live."

He sat down in a dead silence. Again men drew counsel from their fears.
The resolution passed unanimously, for none dared vote against it lest
he brand himself as bought and sold.

It was in this moment, while the hearts of the guilty were like water,
that there came from the lawn outside the roar of a multitude of
voices. Swiftly the word passed that ten thousand miner had come to see
that Warner was not elected. That they were in a dangerous frame of
mind, all knew. It was a passionate undisciplined mob and to thwart
them would have been to invite a riot.

Under these circumstances the joint assembly proceeded to ballot for a
senator. The first name called was that of Adams. He was an old
cattleman and a Democrat.

"Before voting, I want to resign my plate a few moments to Mr. Landor,
of Kit Carson County," he said.

Landor was recognized, a big broad-shouldered plainsman with a leathery
face as honest as the sun. He was known and liked by everybody, even by
those opposed to him.

"I'm going to make a speech," he announced with the broad smile that
showed a flash of white teeth. "I reckon it'll be the first I ever made
here, and I promise it will be the last, boys. But I won't keep you
long, either. You all know how things have been going; how men have
been moving in and out and buying men here like as if they were cattle
on the hoof. You've seen it, and I've seen it. But we didn't have the
nerve to say it should stop. One man did. He's the biggest man in this
big State to-day, and it ain't been five minutes since I heard you
hollar your lungs out cursing him. You know who I mean--Sam Yesler."

He waited till the renewed storm of cheers and hisses had died away.

"It don't do him any harm for you to hollar at him, boys--not a mite. I
want to say to you that he's a man. He saw our old friends falling by
the wayside and some of you poor weaklings selling yourselves for
dollars. Because he is an honest, game man, he set out to straighten
things up. I want to tell you that my hat's off to Sam Yesler.

"But that ain't what I rose for. I'm going to name for the United
States senate a clean man, one who doesn't wear either the Harley or
the Ridgway brand. He's as straight as a string, not a crooked hair in
his head, and every manjack of you knows it. I'm going to name a