that in
that as in everything else he was too late. With sympathizing spies and
friends in every nook and corner, how could it be otherwise? Yet
Elmendorf could never divest himself of the idea that without him to
warn, advise, or control, chaos would come again. The strikers and their
sympathetic mob of toughs had become dispersed during the night, and
could not in time be reassembled in sufficient force to oppose
successfully all those armed deputies. That was how the road was opened.

But it was closed now, and others, despite the injunctions of United
States courts and the efforts of the Federal officials, found it
practically useless to attempt to force even the mail trains through the
rioting districts. Such was the peril to life and limb that trained
engineers and firemen refused to serve, and those who dared were in some
cases kicked and beaten into pulp. "Damn the United States courts!" said
the mob. "Injunctions don't go here!" And so in vastly augmented numbers
and in fury that vented itself in wrecking miles and miles of railway
property, the mob was reopening the day. "They'll pay for last night's
trick," said an official of the Railway Union, smilingly announcing
another distant road tied up. "There's a higher power in the land than
even the United States courts, and to-night they'll come to any terms we
dictate." And he added, significantly, "Terms are already being
dictated."

A messenger entered at the moment. "Mr. Allison isn't at the office, and
they don't know where he is. He slept awhile and breakfasted at the
club, but left there half an hour ago."

"This is a matter in which probably I can be of more avail than any one
else," promptly said the ubiquitous Elmendorf. "My personal acquaintance
with the gentleman and his family may, and doubtless will, enable me to
give more weight to your dictum than it might otherwise bear. Then, too,
I may reasonably hope to influence him to agree to the proposed terms
and render further harsh measures unnecessary."

The leaders eyed one another and hesitated. Already had they begun to
see that Elmendorf assumed much more than he carried. But no one could
gainsay his eagerness and devotion to the cause. Red-eyed, sleepless,
pallid, he was yet here, eager to devote more hours of effort to the
good cause. At all events, it would get him out of the way for a time,
and he was becoming too prevalent.

"Oh, very well; if you think you can find him, Mr. Elmendorf, a