existence; as against that we shall beat the tomtom and do our level
best to stay on top of earth."

"Naturally," Blount agreed, then half-absently, and with his eyes still
resting upon the merrymakers twirling like paired automatons in the
distant assembly-room: "And my father--how does he stand?"

"The idea of your having to ask me how the senator stands in his own
State!" exclaimed Gantry. "But really, Evan, I'd give a good bit of hard
cash to be able to tell you in so many words just where he does stand.
There are a good many people in our neck of woods who would like mighty
well to know. It will make all the difference in the world when it comes
to a show-down."

"Why will it?"

"Because, apart from the railroad and the anti-railroad factions, there
is a very complete and smoothly running machine organization."

"And my father is identified with the machine?"

Again Gantry choked over the singular lack of information discovering
itself in Blount's question.

"Land of glory!" he ejaculated. "Where have you been burying yourself,
Evan? Didn't I just tell you that he is the biggest man in the State?
Oh, no"--with heavy irony--"he isn't identified with the machine--not at
all; he merely owns it and runs it. We may think we can swing a safe
majority in the legislature, and the 'antis' may be just as firmly
convinced that they can. But before either side can turn a wheel it will
have to walk up to the captain's office and get its orders."

"Ah," said Blount, and a little later: "Thank you, Dick, I am pretty
badly out of touch with the Western political situation, as you've
discovered." Then he changed the subject abruptly. "How long will your
traffic meeting last?"

"We practically finished to-day. An hour or two on Monday will wind it
up."

"After which you'll go West?"

"After which I shall go West by the Monday noon train if I can make it.
You couldn't hire me to stay in Boston an hour longer than I have to."

Silence for a time until Blount broke in upon Gantry's tapping of the
dance-music rhythm with: "If I can close up a few unfinished business
matters and get ready I may go with you, Dick. Would you mind?"

"Yes; I should mind so much that I'd willingly miss a train or so and
worry out a few more of the chilly Boston hours rather than lose the
chance of having you along."

"That is good of you, I'm sure. I should bore myself to death if I had
to travel alone."

Blount's rejoinder might have pass