h the resolution of
a desperate man. Without an instant's hesitation he drew back, hit
Ward a few resounding buffets on either side of his head, and then
tossed the dizzied man out of his wagon into the roadside slush. An
instant later he had the reins, swung the frightened horse across
the gutter and around into the road, and continued his flight in the
direction of the railroad-station.

The constables, leading the pursuing voters by a few lengths, found
Colonel Ward sitting up in the ditch and gaping in utter amazement
and dire wrath at the turn of the road where Cap'n Sproul had swept
out of sight.

The wreck of the wagon halted them.

"I s'pose you've jest seen our first selectman-elect pass this way,
haven't ye?" inquired Mr. Nute, with official conservatism.

The Colonel had not yet regained his powers of speech. He jabbed with
bony finger in the direction of the railroad, and moved his jaws
voicelessly. Mr. Swanton descended from the wagon, helped him out
of the ditch, and began to stroke the slush from his garments with
mittened hand. As he still continued to gasp ineffectually, Mr. Nute
drove on, leaving him standing by the roadside.

Cap'n Sproul was at bay on the station platform, feet braced
defiantly apart, hat on the back of his head, and desperate resolve
flaming from his eyes.

"Don't ye git out of your wagon, Nute," he rasped. "It's been touch
and go once with the three of ye to-day. I could have killed ye like
sheep. Don't git in my way ag'in. Take warnin'! It's life or death,
and a few more don't make much difference to me now."

The chief constable stared at him with bulging eyes.

"I could have killed ye and I didn't," repeated the Cap'n. "Let that
show ye that I'm square till I have to be otherwise. But I'm a
desp'rit' man, Nute. I'm goin' to take that train." He brandished
his fist at a trail of smoke up behind the spruces. "Gawd pity the
man that gits in my way!"

"Somethin' has happened to his mind all of a sudden," whispered Mr.
Wade. "He ought to be took care of till he gits over it. It would
be a pity and a shame to let a prominent man like that git away and
fall into the hands of strangers."

"All of ye take warnin'," bawled the Cap'n to his townsmen, who were
crowding their wagons into the station square.

Constable Zeburee Nute drove his whip into the socket, threw down
his reins, and stood up. The hollow hoot of the locomotive had sounded
up the track.

"Feller citizens,