Part 27 (1/2)
Well, sir, I arranged to have a carriage, a closed carriage, call that night to take him to see the President, for he was told the President sent the carriage for him. When he got out he was at the insane asylum, an' I can tell you he was bundled into a padded cell in jig time, where he stayed for three days. 'He thinks he's a member of Congress,' I told the two huskies that handled him, an' gave 'em each a twenty-case note. The doctor that signed the necessary papers got considerable more.”
Stevens' gasp of amazement caused the narrator genuine enjoyment.
”I know of a certain Senator who was drunk an' laid away in a Turkish bath when the roll was called on a certain bill. He was a friend of Peabody's,” laughed the lobbyist to the Mississippian.
”But in this case,” said Stevens, ”we must be very careful. Possibly some of your methods in handling the men you go after--”
”Say,” interposed Steinert, ”you know I don't do all pursuin', all the goin' after, any more than others in my business. Why, Senator, some of these Congressmen worry the life out of us folks that sprinkle the sugar. They accuse us of not lettin' 'em in on things when they haven't been fed in some time. They come down the trail like greyhounds coursin' a coyote.”
The speaker paused and glanced across at Peabody, who, however, was too busily engaged in writing in a memorandum book to notice him.
”Why, Senator Stevens,” went on the lobbyist, ”only to-day a Down East member held me up to tell me that he was strong for that proposition to give the A.K. and L. railroad grants of government timber land in Oregon. He says to me, he says: 'What'n h--l do my const.i.tuents in New England care about things 'way out on the Pacific Coast? I'd give 'em Yellowstone National Park for a freight sidin' if 'twas any use to 'em,' he says. So you see--”
”I must go,” broke in Stevens, rising and glancing at his watch. ”It will soon be daylight.”
”If you must have sleep, go; but you must be here at 9 o'clock sharp in the morning,” said Peabody. ”Steinert will sleep here with me.
We'll all have breakfast together here in my rooms and a final consultation.”
”You won't plan anything really desperate, Peabody, will you? I think I'd rather--”
”Nonsense, Stevens, of course not. Our game will be to try to weaken Langdon, to prove to him in the morning that he alone will suffer, because our names do not appear in the land deals. The options were signed and the deeds signed by our agents. Don't you see? Whereas his daughter and son and future son-in-law actually took land in their own names.”
”How clumsy!”
”Yes. Such amateurism lowers the dignity of the United States Senate,”
Peabody answered, dryly.
”But suppose Langdon does not weaken?” asked Stevens, anxiously, as he picked up his hat and coat.
”Then we will go into action with our guns loaded,” was the reply.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE HONEYBIRD
In the African jungle dwells a pretty little bird that lives on honey.
The saccharine dainty is there found in the hollows of trees and under the bark, where what is known as the carpenter bee bores and deposits his extract from the buds and blossoms of the tropical forest.
The bird is called the ”honeybird” because it is a sure guide to the deposits of the delicacy. The bird dislikes the laborious task of pecking its way through the bark to reach the honey, and so, wise in the ways of men, it procures help. It locates a nest of honey, then flies about until it sees some natives or hunters, to whom it shows itself. They know the honeybird and know that it will lead them to the treasure store. Following the bird, which flits just in advance, they reach the cache of dripping sweetness and readily lay it open with hatchets or knives. Taking what they want, there is always enough left clinging to the tree and easily accessible to satisfy the appet.i.te of the clever little bird.
Senator Stevens of Mississippi bears a marked resemblance to the honeybird--so much so that he has well won the bird's appellation for himself. Abnormally keen at locating possibilities for extracting ”honey” from the governmental affairs in Was.h.i.+ngton, he invariably led Peabody, representing the hunter with the ax, to the repository. He would then rely on the Pennsylvanian's superior force to break down the barriers. Stevens would flutter about and gather up the leavings.
Equally as mercenary as ”the boss of the Senate,” he lacked Peabody's iron nerve, determination, resourcefulness and daring. He needed many hours of sleep. Peabody could work twenty hours at a stretch. He had to have his meals regularly or else suffer from indigestion. Peabody sometimes did a day's work on two boiled eggs and a cup of coffee.
The senior Senator from Mississippi had been the first to point out to Peabody the possibilities for profit in the gulf naval base project, but the morning following the conference with Steinert when he rejoined them for breakfast at the Louis Napoleon he was far from comfortable. He did not mind fighting brain against brain, even though unprincipled methods were resorted to, but indications were that more violent agencies would be called into play owing to the complications that had arisen.
Stevens ate heartily to strengthen his courage. Steinert ate hugely to strengthen his body. Peabody ate scarcely anything at all--to strengthen his brain.