Well, now is your chance to get even, he vociferated. It is now or never. You can take it and save the situation for yourselves and all California or you can leave it and rot on your own ranches. Buck, I know you. I know youre not afraid of anything that wears skin. I know youve got sand all through you, and I know if I showed you how we could put our deal through and seat a Commission of our own, you wouldnt hang back. Governor, youre a brave man. You know the advantage of prompt and fearless action. You are not the sort to shrink from taking chances. To play for big stakes is just your gameto stake a fortune on the turn of a card. You didnt get the reputation of being the strongest poker player in El Dorado County for nothing. Now, heres the biggest gamble that ever came your way. If we stand up to it like men with guts in us, well win out. If we hesitate, were lost.
I dont suppose you can help playing the goat, Osterman, remarked Annixter, but whats your idea? What do you think we can do? Im not saying, he hastened to interpose, that youve anyways convinced me by all this cackling. I know as well as you that we are in a hole. But I knew that before I came here to-night. YOUVE not done anything to make me change my mind. But just what do you propose? Lets hear it.
Well, I say the first thing to do is to see Disbrow. Hes the political boss of the Denver, Pueblo, and Mojave road. We will have to get in with the machine some way and thats particularly why I want Magnus with us. He knows politics better than any of us and if we dont want to get sold again we will have to have some one thats in the know to steer us.
The only politics I understand, Mr. Osterman, answered Magnus sternly, are honest politics. You must look elsewhere for your political manager. I refuse to have any part in this matter. If the Railroad Commission can be nominated legitimately, if your arrangements can be made without bribery, I am with you to the last iota of my ability.
Well, you cant get what you want without paying for it, contradicted Annixter.
Broderson was about to speak when Osterman kicked his foot under the table. He, himself, held his peace. He was quick to see that if he could involve Magnus and Annixter in an argument, Annixter, for the mere love of contention, would oppose the Governor and, without knowing it, would commit himself to hisOstermansscheme.
This was precisely what happened. In a few moments Annixter was declaring at top voice his readiness to mortgage the crop of Quien Sabe, if necessary, for the sake of busting S. Behrman. He could see no great obstacle in the way of controlling the nominating convention so far as securing the naming of two Railroad Commissioners was concerned. Two was all they needed. Probably it WOULD cost money. You didnt get something for nothing. It would cost them all a good deal more if they sat like lumps on a log and played tiddledy-winks while Shelgrim sold out from under them. Then there was this, too: the P. and S. W. were hard up just then. The shortage on the States wheat crop for the last two years had affected them, too. They were retrenching in expenditures all along the line. Hadnt they just cut wages in all departments? There was this affair of Dykes to prove it. The railroad didnt always act as a unit, either. There was always a party in it that opposed spending too much money. He would bet that party was strong just now. He was kind of sick himself of being kicked by S. Behrman. Hadnt that pip turned up on his ranch that very day to bully him about his own line fence? Next he would be telling him what kind of clothes he ought to wear. Harran had the right idea. Somebody had got to be busted mighty soon now and he didnt propose that it should be he.
Now you are talking something like sense, observed Osterman. I thought you would see it like that when you got my idea.
Your idea, YOUR idea! cried Annixter. Why, Ive had this idea myself for over three years.
What about Disbrow? asked Harran, hastening to interrupt. Why do we want to see Disbrow?
Disbrow is the political man for the Denver, Pueblo, and Mojave, answered Osterman, and you see its like this: the Mojave road dont run up into the valley at all. Their terminus is way to the south of us, and they dont care anything about grain rates through the San Joaquin. They dont care how anti-railroad the Commission is, because the Commissions rulings cant affect them. But they divide traffic with the P. and S. W. in the southern part of the State and they have a good deal of influence with that road. I want to get the Mojave road, through Disbrow, to recommend a Commissioner of our choosing to the P. and S. W. and have the P. and S. W. adopt him as their own.
Who, for instance?
Darrell, that Los Angeles manremember?
Well, Darrell is no particular friend of Disbrow, said Annixter. Why should Disbrow take him up?
PREE-cisely, cried Osterman. We make it worth Disbrows while to do it. We go to him and say, Mr. Disbrow, you manage the politics for the Mojave railroad, and what you say goes with your Board of Directors. We want you to adopt our candidate for Railroad Commissioner for the third district. How much do you want for doing it? I KNOW we can buy Disbrow. That gives us one Commissioner. We need not bother about that any more. In the first district we dont make any move at all. We let the political managers of the P. and S. W. nominate whoever they like. Then we concentrate all our efforts to putting in our man in the second district. There is where the big fight will come.
I see perfectly well what you mean, Mr. Osterman, observed Magnus, but make no mistake, sir, as to my attitude in this business. You may count me as out of it entirely.
Well, suppose we win, put in Annixter truculently, already acknowledging himself as involved in the proposed undertaking; suppose we win and get low rates for hauling grain. How about you, then? You count yourself IN then, dont you? You get all the benefit of lower rates without sharing any of the risks we take to secure them. No, nor any of the expense, either. No, you wont dirty your fingers with helping us put this deal through, but you wont be so cursed particular when it comes to sharing the profits, will you?
Magnus rose abruptly to his full height, the nostrils of his thin, hawk-like nose vibrating, his smooth-shaven face paler than ever.
Stop right where you are, sir, he exclaimed. You forget yourself, Mr. Annixter. Please understand that I tolerate such words as you have permitted yourself to make use of from no man, not even from my guest. I shall ask you to apologise.
In an instant he dominated the entire group, imposing a respect that was as much fear as admiration. No one made response. For the moment he was the Master again, the Leader. Like so many delinquent school-boys, the others cowered before him, ashamed, put to confusion, unable to find their tongues. In that brief instant of silence following upon Magnuss outburst, and while he held them subdued and over-mastered, the fabric of their scheme of corruption and dishonesty trembled to its base. It was the last protest of the Old School, rising up there in denunciation of the new order of things, the statesman opposed to the politician; honesty, rectitude, uncompromising integrity, prevailing for the last time against the devious manoeuvring, the evil communications, the rotten expediency of a corrupted institution.
For a few seconds no one answered. Then, Annixter, moving abruptly and uneasily in his place, muttered:
For a few seconds no one answered. Then, Annixter, moving abruptly and uneasily in his place, muttered:
I spoke upon provocation. If you like, well consider it unsaid. I dont know whats going to become of usgo out of business, I presume.
I understand Magnus all right, put in Osterman. He dont have to go into this thing, if its against his conscience. Thats all right. Magnus can stay out if he wants to, but that wont prevent us going ahead and seeing what we can do. Only theres this about it. He turned again to Magnus, speaking with every degree of earnestness, every appearance of conviction. I did not deny, Governor, from the very start that this would mean bribery. But you dont suppose that I like the idea either. If there was one legitimate hope that was yet left untried, no matter how forlorn it was, I would try it. But theres not. It is literally and soberly true that every means of helpevery honest meanshas been attempted. Shelgrim is going to cinch us. Grain rates are increasing, while, on the other hand, the price of wheat is sagging lower and lower all the time. If we dont do something we are ruined.
Osterman paused for a moment, allowing precisely the right number of seconds to elapse, then altering and lowering his voice, added:
I respect the Governors principles. I admire them. They do him every degree of credit. Then, turning directly to Magnus, he concluded with, But I only want you to ask yourself, sir, if, at such a crisis, one ought to think of oneself, to consider purely personal motives in such a desperate situation as this? Now, we want you with us, Governor; perhaps not openly, if you dont wish it, but tacitly, at least. I wont ask you for an answer to-night, but what I do ask of you is to consider this matter seriously and think over the whole business. Will you do it?
Osterman ceased definitely to speak, leaning forward across the table, his eyes fixed on Magnuss face. There was a silence. Outside, the rain fell continually with an even, monotonous murmur. In the group of men around the table no one stirred nor spoke. They looked steadily at Magnus, who, for the moment, kept his glance fixed thoughtfully upon the table before him. In another moment he raised his head and looked from face to face around the group. After all, these were his neighbours, his friends, men with whom he had been upon the closest terms of association. In a way they represented what now had come to be his world. His single swift glance took in the men, one after another. Annixter, rugged, crude, sitting awkwardly and uncomfortably in his chair, his unhandsome face, with its outthrust lower lip and deeply cleft masculine chin, flushed and eager, his yellow hair disordered, the one tuft on the crown standing stiffly forth like the feather in an Indians scalp lock; Broderson, vaguely combing at his long beard with a persistent maniacal gesture, distressed, troubled and uneasy; Osterman, with his comedy face, the face of a music-hall singer, his head bald and set off by his great red ears, leaning back in his place, softly cracking the knuckle of a forefinger, and, last of all and close to his elbow, his son, his support, his confidant and companion, Harran, so like himself, with his own erect, fine carriage, his thin, beak-like nose and his blond hair, with its tendency to curl in a forward direction in front of the ears, young, strong, courageous, full of the promise of the future years. His blue eyes looked straight into his fathers with what Magnus could fancy a glance of appeal. Magnus could see that expression in the faces of the others very plainly. They looked to him as their natural leader, their chief who was to bring them out from this abominable trouble which was closing in upon them, and in them all he saw many types. Theythese men around his table on that night of the first rain of a coming seasonseemed to stand in his imagination for many othersall the farmers, ranchers, and wheat growers of the great San Joaquin. Their words were the words of a whole community; their distress, the distress of an entire State, harried beyond the bounds of endurance, driven to the wall, coerced, exploited, harassed to the limits of exasperation. I will think of it, he said, then hastened to add, but I can tell you beforehand that you may expect only a refusal.
After Magnus had spoken, there was a prolonged silence. The conference seemed of itself to have come to an end for that evening. Presley lighted another cigarette from the butt of the one he had been smoking, and the cat, Princess Nathalie, disturbed by his movement and by a whiff of drifting smoke, jumped from his knee to the floor and picking her way across the room to Annixter, rubbed gently against his legs, her tail in the air, her back delicately arched. No doubt she thought it time to settle herself for the night, and as Annixter gave no indication of vacating his chair, she chose this way of cajoling him into ceding his place to her. But Annixter was irritated at the Princesss attentions, misunderstanding their motive.
Get out! he exclaimed, lifting his feet to the rung of the chair. Lord love me, but I sure do hate a cat.
By the way, observed Osterman, I passed Genslinger by the gate as I came in to-night. Had he been here?
Yes, he was here, said Harran, and but Annixter took the words out of his mouth.
He says theres some talk of the railroad selling us their sections this winter.
Oh, he did, did he? exclaimed Osterman, interested at once. Where did he hear that?
Where does a railroad paper get its news? From the General Office, I suppose.
I hope he didnt get it straight from headquarters that the land was to be graded at twenty dollars an acre, murmured Broderson.
Whats that? demanded Osterman. Twenty dollars! Here, put me on, somebody. Whats all up? What did Genslinger say?
Oh, you neednt get scared, said Annixter. Genslinger dont know, thats all. He thinks there was no understanding that the price of the land should not be advanced when the P. and S. W. came to sell to us.
Oh, muttered Osterman relieved. Magnus, who had gone out into the office on the other side of the glass-roofed hallway, returned with a long, yellow envelope in his hand, stuffed with newspaper clippings and thin, closely printed pamphlets.
Here is the circular, he remarked, drawing out one of the pamphlets. The conditions of settlement to which the railroad obligated itself are very explicit.
He ran over the pages of the circular, then read aloud:
The Company invites settlers to go upon its lands before patents are issued or the road is completed, and intends in such cases to sell to them in preference to any other applicants and at a price based upon the value of the land without improvements, and on the other page here, he remarked, they refer to this again. In ascertaining the value of the lands, any improvements that a settler or any other person may have on the lands will not be taken into consideration, neither will the price be increased in consequence thereof.... Settlers are thus insured that in addition to being accorded the first privilege of purchase, at the graded price, they will also be protected in their improvements. And here, he commented, in Section IX. it reads, The lands are not uniform in price, but are offered at various figures from $2.50 upward per acre. Usually land covered with tall timber is held at $5.00 per acre, and that with pine at $10.00. Most is for sale at $2.50 and $5.00.
When you come to read that carefully, hazarded old Broderson, itits not so VERY REASSURING. MOST is for sale at two-fifty an acre, it says. That dont mean ALL, that only means SOME. I wish now that I had secured a more iron-clad agreement from the P. and S. W. when I took up its sections on my ranch, andand Genslinger is in a position to know the intentions of the railroad. At least, hehehe is in TOUCH with them. All newspaper men are. Those, I mean, who are subsidised by the General Office. But, perhaps, Genslinger isnt subsidised, I dont know. II am not sure. Maybeperhaps