ave fallen. If his life had depended on
it, William Wetherell could not have spoken a word to Mr. Bixby then.

"You done well, Will, sure enough," that gentleman continued to whisper.
"And Alvy's gal done well, too--you understand. I guess she's the only
one that ever snarled up Al Lovejoy so that he didn't know where he
was at. But it took a fine, delicate touch for her job and yours, Will.
Godfrey, this is the quickest roll-call I ever seed! They've got halfway
through Truro County. That fellow can talk faster than a side-show,
ticket-seller at a circus."

The clerk was, indeed, performing prodigies of pronunciation. When he
reached Wells County, the last, Mr. Bixby so far lost his habitual sang
froid as to hammer on the rail with his fist.

"If there hain't a quorum, we're done for," he said. "How much time has
gone away? Twenty minutes! Godfrey, some of 'em may break loose and git
here is five minutes!"

"Break loose?" Wetherell exclaimed involuntarily.

Mr. Bixby screwed up his face.

"You understand. Accidents is liable to happen."

Mr. Wetherell didn't understand in the least, but just then the clerk
reached the last name on the roll; an instant of absolute silence, save
for the June-bugs, followed, while the assistant clerk ran over his
figures deftly and handed them to Mr. Sutton, who leaned forward to
receive them.

"One hundred and twelve gentlemen have voted in the affirmative
and forty-eight in the negative, and the report of the Committee is
accepted."

"Ten more'n a quorum!" ejaculated Mr. Bixby, in a voice of thanksgiving,
as the turmoil below began again. It seemed as though every man in the
opposition was on his feet and yelling at the chair: some to adjourn;
some to indefinitely postpone; some demanding roll-calls; others
swearing at these--for a division vote would have opened the doors.
Others tried to get out, and then ran down the aisles and called
fiercely on the Speaker to open the doors, and threatened him. But
the Honorable Heth Sutton did not lose his head, and it may be doubted
whether he ever appeared to better advantage than at that moment. He had
a voice like one of the Clovelly bulls that fed in his own pastures
in the valley, and by sheer bellowing he got silence, or something
approaching it,--the protests dying down to a hum; had recognised
another friend of the bill, and was putting another question.

"Mr. Gibbs of Wareham moves that the rules of the House be so far
suspe