quire about
Captain Jim's condition, he himself, however, volunteered an
explanation.

"I don't mind tellin' you, ez an old friend o' mine and Lacy's, that
the secret of that there attack on me and the 'Guardian' was
perlitikal. Yes, sir! There was a powerful orginization in the
interest o' Halkins for assemblyman ez didn't like our high-toned
editorials on caucus corruption, and hired a bully to kem down here and
suppress us. Why, this yer Lacy spotted the idea to oncet; yer know
how keen be is."

"Was Lacy present?" I asked as carelessly as I could.

Captain Jim glanced his eyes over his shoulder quite in his old furtive
canine fashion, and then blinked them at me rapidly. "He war! And if
it warn't for HIS pluck and HIS science and HIS strength, I don't know
whar I'D hev been now! Howsomever, it's all right. I've had a fair
offer to sell the 'Guardian' over at Simpson's Bar, and it's time I
quit throwin' away the work of a man like Lacy Bassett upon it. And
between you and me, I've got an idea and suthin' better to put his
talens into."

III.

It was not long before it became evident that the "talens" of Mr. Lacy
Bassett, as indicated by Captain Jim, were to grasp at a seat in the
state legislature. An editorial in the "Simpson's Bar Clarion" boldly
advocated his pretensions. At first it was believed that the article
emanated from the gifted pen of Lacy himself, but the style was so
unmistakably that of Colonel Starbottle, an eminent political
"war-horse" of the district, that a graver truth was at once suggested,
namely, that the "Guardian" had simply been transferred to Simpson's
Bar, and merged into the "Clarion" solely on this condition. At least
it was recognized that it was the hand of Captain Jim which guided the
editorial fingers of the colonel, and Captain Jim's money that
distended the pockets of that gallant political leader.

Howbeit Lacy Bassett was never elected; in fact he was only for one
brief moment a candidate. It was related that upon his first ascending
the platform at Simpson's Bar a voice in the audience said lazily,
"Come down!" That voice was Yuba Bill's. A slight confusion ensued,
in which Yuba Bill whispered a few words in the colonel's ear. After a
moment's hesitation the "war-horse" came forward, and in his loftiest
manner regretted that the candidate had withdrawn. The next issue of
the "Clarion" proclaimed with no uncertain sound that a base conspiracy
gotten u