Sudden disappearance of the individual.

Nor is this all. The Duke of Putnam, for example, knows how many
credentials there are in his county--say, seventy-six. He counts the
men present and voting, and his result is sixty-one. Fifteen are absent,
getting food or--something else. Fifteen vote over again. But, as the
human brain is prone to error, and there are men in the street, the Duke
miscalculates; the Earl of Haines miscalculates, too. Result--eleven
over a thousand votes, and some nine hundred men in the hall!

How are you going to stop it? Mr. Watling climbs up on the platform
and shakes his fist in General Doby's face, and General Doby tearfully
appeals for an honest ballot--to the winds.

In the meantime the Honourable Elisha Jane, spurred on by desperation
and thoughts of a 'dolce far niente' gone forever; has sought 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 whi