It was in this moment, while the hearts of the guilty were like water, that there came from the lawn outside the roar of a multitude of voices.Swiftly the word passed that ten thousand miner had come to see that Warner was not elected.That they were in a dangerous frame of mind, all knew.It was a passionate undisciplined mob and to thwart them would have been to invite a riot.
Under these circumstances the joint assembly proceeded to ballot for a senator.The first name called was that of Adams.He was an old cattleman and a Democrat.
"Before voting, I want to resign my plate a few moments to Mr.Landor, of Kit Carson County," he said.
Landor was recognized, a big broad-shouldered plainsman with a leathery face as honest as the sun.He was known and liked by everybody, even by those opposed to him.
"I'm going to make a speech," he announced with the broad smile that showed a flash of white teeth."I reckon it'll be the first I ever made here, and I promise it will be the last, boys.But I won't keep you long, either.You all know how things have been going; how men have been moving in and out and buying men here like as if they were cattle on the hoof.You've seen it, and I've seen it.But we didn't have the nerve to say it should stop.One man did.He's the biggest man in this big State to-day, and it ain't been five minutes since I heard you hollar your lungs out cursing him.You know who I mean--Sam Yesler."He waited till the renewed storm of cheers and hisses had died away."It don't do him any harm for you to hollar at him, boys--not a mite.Iwant to say to you that he's a man.He saw our old friends falling by the wayside and some of you poor weaklings selling yourselves for dollars.Because he is an honest, game man, he set out to straighten things up.I want to tell you that my hat's off to Sam Yesler.
"But that ain't what I rose for.I'm going to name for the United Statessenate a clean man, one who doesn't wear either the Harley or the Ridgway brand.He's as straight as a string, not a crooked hair in his head, and every manjack of you knows it.I'm going to name a man"--he stopped an instant to smile genially around upon the circle of uplifted faces--"who isn't any friend of either one faction or another, a man who has just had independence enough to quit a big job because it wasn't on the square.That man's name is Lyndon Hobart.If you want to do yourselves proud, gentlemen, you'll certainly elect him."If it was a sensation he had wanted to create, he had it.The Warner forces were taken with dumb surprise.But many of them were already swiftly thinking it would be the best way out of a bad business.He would be conservative, as fair to the Consolidated as to the enemy.More, just now his election would appeal to the angry mob howling outside the building, for they could ask nothing more than the election of the man who had resigned rather than order the attack on the Taurus, which had resulted in the death of some of their number.
Hoyle, of the Democrats, seconded the nomination, as also did Eaton, in a speech wherein he defended the course of Ridgway and withdrew his name.
Within a few minutes of the time that Eaton sat down, the roll had been called and Hobart elected by a vote of seventy-three to twenty-four, the others refusing to cast a ballot.
The two young women, sitting together in the front row of the gallery, were glowing with triumphant happiness.Virginia was still clapping her hands when a voice behind her suggested that the circumstances did not warrant her being so happy over the result.She turned, to see Waring Ridgway smiling down at her.
"But I can't help being pleased.Wasn't Mr.Yesler magnificent?""Sam was all right, though he might have eased up a bit when he pitched into me.""He had to do that to be fair.Everybody knows you and he are friends.I think it was fine of him not to let that make any difference in his telling the truth.""Oh, I knew it would please you," her betrothed laughed."What doyou say to going out to lunch with me? I'll get Sam, too, if I can."The young women consulted eyes and agreed very readily.Both of them enjoyed being so near to the heart of things.
"If Mr.Yesler will lunch with the debaucher of the commonwealth, we shall be very happy to join the party," said Virginia demurely.
Ridgway led them down to the floor of the House.Through the dense throng they made their way slowly toward him, Ridgway clearing a path with his broad shoulders.
Suddenly they heard him call sharply, "Look out, Sam."The explosion of a revolver followed sharply his words.Ridgway dived through the press, tossing men to right and left of him as a steamyacht does the waves.Through the open lane he left in his wake, the young women caught the meaning of the turmoil: the crumpled figure was Yesler swaying into the arms of his friend, Roper, the furious drink- flushed face of Pelton and the menace of the weapon poised for a second shot, the swift impact of Waring's body, and the blow which sent the next bullet crashing into the chandelier overhead.All this they glimpsed momentarily before the press closed in on the tragic scene and cut off their view.
