own and whip back into
the ranks again these bandits of commerce disguised as respectable,
church-going, law-upholding men of property--and to do this by the same
old methods of terror and force.

"You can't leave us in the lurch," said Doc. "And the game promises to
be interesting once more. I don't like racing on the flat. It's the
hurdles that make the fun."

I pictured myself again a circus horse, going round and round the ring,
jumping the same old hurdles at the same old intervals. "Take my place,
Doc," said I.

He shook his head. "I'm a good second," said he, "but a rotten bad
first."

It was true enough. He mysteriously lacked that mysterious something
which, when a man happens to have been born with it, makes other men
yield him the command--give it to him, force it on him, if he hangs
back.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"That dinner to-morrow night is in Suite L. Go to it--that's the
shortest way to put Roebuck and Dominick out of business. Face 'em and
they'll skulk."

"It's a risk," said I. I saw at once that he was right, but I was in a
reluctant humor.

"Not a bit of it," was his confident reply. "I had a horse that was
_crazy_--would run away on any old provocation. But no matter how busy
he was at kicking up the dust and the dashboard, you could always halt
him by ringing a bell once. He'd been in the street-car service. That's
the way it is with men, especially strong men, that have been broken to
the bell. They hear it ring and they can't resist. Go up and ring the
bell."

"Go ring it yourself," said I.

"You're the bell," said he.

XXXI

HARVEY SAYLER, SWINEHERD

At a little after eight the following night, I was in Chicago, was
knocking at Suite L in the Auditorium Hotel; I was hearing sounds from
within that indicated that the dinner was under way. The door swung back
and there stood old Roebuck himself, napkin in hand, his shriveling old
face showing that his dollar sense was taking up the strength which his
other senses were losing. He was saying cordially, "Ah, Croffut, you are
late--"

Then his dim eyes saw me; he pulled himself up like a train when the
air-brakes are clapped on.

"They told me at the office that you were at dinner," said I in the tone
of one who has unintentionally blundered. "As I was looking for dinner,
I rather hoped you'd ask me to join you. But I see that--"

"Come right in," he said smoothly, but gray as a sheep. "You'll find
som