e
people, but he ain't our style. [Mr. Finlayson would doubtless agree
with that.] He means well, but he ain't eddicated up to the West. You
remember how we got the boys all corralled up nice an' tame when you
was here. Well, he's got 'em wild. Couldn't reach 'em with a shotgun. He
throwed hell fire at 'em till they got scart an' took to the hills till
you can't get near 'em no more'n mountain goats. So they have all quit
comin'--I don't count Scotty Fraser, for he would come, anyway--except
me an' Monkey Fiddler an' his yeller dog. You can always count on the
dog. Now, sir, this is your show, not mine. But I was born an' raised a
Presbyteryn down East, an' though I haven't worked hard at the business
for some years, it riles me some to hear Col. Hicks an' a lot of durned
fools that has got smarter than God Almighty Himself shootin' off
against the Bible an' religion an' all that. [We needn't read too
closely between the lines at this point.] Send a man that don't smell
so strong of sulphur an' brimstone, who has got some savey, an' who will
know how to handle the boys gentle. They ain't to say bad, but just a
leetle wild. Send him along, an' we will stay with him an' knock the tar
out of that bunch of fools.

"Yours most respeckfully,

"HENRY FINK.

"P. S. When are you comin' into the valley again? If you could arrange
to spend a month or two I'll guarantee we will have 'em all in nice
shape.

"Yours respeckfully,

"HENRY FINK."

"I don't think you can count much from the support of a man like that,"
said the assembly's Convener; "I don't think he shows any real interest
in the work."

"My dear sir," said the Superintendent, "don't you know he is the
Chairman of our Board of Management, a most regular attendant upon
ordinances and contributes most liberally to our support? And while
these things in the East wouldn't necessarily indicate a change of
heart, they stand for a good deal west of the Great Divide. And, at any
rate, in these matters we remember gratefully the word that is written,
'He that is not against us is on our part.'"

"Well, well," said the Assembly's Convener, "it may be so. It may be so.
But what's to be done with Finlayson? And where will you get a successor
for him?"

"We can easily place Finlayson. He is a good man and will do excellent
work in other fields. But where to get a man for Windermere is the
question. Do you know anyone?"

The Assembly's Convener shook his head sadly.