"There is a limit to all things, Senator, and you are pushing us pretty
well up to it. I suppose you can crack the whip and swing the vote on
the legislature, and you can take it and be damned. But, by God, we'll
have our governor and our attorney-general!"
"You are betting confidently on that, are you?" said the veteran mildly.
"Is that your declaration of war?"
"Call it anything you like. We are not going to be legislated off the
map if we can help it. Strong as your machine is, you can't swing Gordon
in against Reynolds if we concede your bare majority in the legislature
and put up the right kind of a fight. And when it comes to Rankin, our
candidate for attorney-general, you simply haven't another man in the
party to put up against him. You'd have to run in a dummy, and even you
are not big enough to do that, Blount, and put it over."
"You've settled this definitely in your own mind, have you, Hardwick?"
was the placable rejoinder. "I'm sorry--right sorry. I've been hoping
that you had learned your lesson--you and your tribe. I came to town
this evening prepared to show you a decent way out of your troubles, so
far as this State is concerned; but since you have posted your 'de-fi,'
as we cow-punchers say, I reckon it isn't worth while to wade any deeper
into the creek."
Again the railroad magnate rested his arms on the table-edge.
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