he years."

"Yes. I've never saw it rain any to speak of in summer. I expect it's
the rule. Don't you?"

"I shouldn't wonder."

"I don't guess any man knows enough to break such a rule. Do you?"

"No. But it'll be fun to see him try."

"Sure fun! Well, I must be getting along. See yu' to-morrow."

"See you to-morrow, Lin."

He left me at a corner, and I stood watching his tall, depressed figure.
A hundred yards down the street he turned, and seeing me looking after
him, pretended he had not turned; and then I took my steps toward the
club, telling myself that I had been something of a skunk; for I had
inquired for Mrs. McLean in a certain tone, and I had hinted to Lin that
he had lacked caution; and this was nothing but a way of saying "I told
you so" to the man that is down. Down Lin certainly was, although it had
not come so home to me until our little walk together just now along the
boards.

At the club I found the Governor teaching Ogden a Cheyenne specialty--a
particular drink, the Allston cocktail. "It's the bitters that does the
trick," he was saying, but saw me and called out: "You ought to have
been with us and seen Jode. I showed him the telegram, you know. He read
it through, and just handed it back to me, and went on monkeying with
his anemometer. Ever seen his instruments? Every fresh jigger they get
out he sends for. Well, he monkeyed away, and wouldn't say a word, so
I said, 'You understand, Jode, this telegram comes from Hilbrun.' And
Jode, he quit his anemometer and said, 'I make no doubt, sir, that your
despatch is genuwine.' Oh, South Carolina's indignant at me!" And
the Governor slapped his knee. "Why, he's so set against Hilbrun," he
continued, "I guess if he knew of something he could explode to stop
rain he'd let her fly!"

"No, he wouldn't," said I. "He'd not consider that honorable."

"That's so," the Governor assented. "Jode'll play fair."

It was thus we had come to look at our enterprise--a game between a
well-established, respectable weather bureau and an upstart charlatan.
And it was the charlatan had our sympathy--as all charlatans, whether
religious, military, medical, political, or what not, have with the
average American. We met him at the station. That is, Ogden, McLean, and
I; and the Governor, being engaged, sent (unofficially) his secretary
and the requested cart. Lin was anxious to see what would be put in the
cart, and I was curious about how a rain-maker would look.