Part 17 (1/2)
”Not in nine years!” replied Jim.
”Well, then, let's plan for ten years,” said the colonel. ”I ain't going to become a reformer at my time of life as a temporary job. Will you stick if we can swing the thing for you?”
”I will,” said Jim, in the manner of a person taking the vows in some solemn initiation.
”All right,” said the colonel. ”We'll keep quiet and see how many votes we can muster up at the election. How many oan you speak for?”
Jim gave himself for a few minutes to thought. It was a new thing to him, this matter of mustering votes--and a thing which he had always looked upon as rather reprehensible. The citizen should go forth with no coercion, no persuasion, no suggestion, and vote his sentiments.
”How many can you round up?” persisted the colonel.
”I think,” said Jim, ”that I can speak for myself and Old Man Simms!”
The colonel laughed.
”Fine politician!” he repeated. ”Fine politician! Well, Jim, we may get beaten in this, but if we are, let's not have them going away picking their noses and saying they've had no fight. You round up yourself and Old Man Simms and I'll see what I can do--I'll see what I can do!”
CHAPTER XV
A MINOR CASTS HALF A VOTE
March came in like neither a lion nor a lamb, but was scarcely a week old before the wild ducks had begun to score the sky above Bronson's Slew looking for open water and badly-harvested corn-fields. Wild geese, too, honked from on high as if in wonder that these great prairies on which their forefathers had been wont fearlessly to alight had been changed into a disgusting expanse of farms. If geese are favored with the long lives in which fable bids us believe, some of these venerable honkers must have seen every vernal and autumnal phase of the transformation from boundless prairie to boundless corn-land. I sometimes seem to hear in the bewildering trumpetings of wild geese a cry of surprise and protest at the ruin of their former paradise. Colonel Woodruff's hired man, Pete, had no such foolish notions, however. He stopped Newton Bronson and Raymond Simms as they tramped across the colonel's pasture, gun in hand, trying to make themselves believe that the shooting was good.
”This ain't no country to hunt in,” said he. ”Did either of you fellows ever have any real duck-shooting?”
”The mountings,” said Raymond, ”air poor places for ducks.”
”Not big enough water,” suggested Pete. ”Some wood-ducks, I suppose?”
”Along the creeks and rivers, yes seh,” said Raymond, ”and sometimes a flock of wild geese would get lost, and some bewildered, and a man would shoot one or two--from the tops of the ridges--but nothing to depend on.”
”I've never been nowhere,” said Newton, ”except once to Minnesota--and--and that wasn't in the shooting season.”
A year ago Newton would have boasted of having ”b.u.mmed” his way to Faribault. His hesitant speech was a proof of the embarra.s.sment his new respectability sometimes inflicted upon him.
”I used to shoot ducks for the market at Spirit Lake,” said Pete. ”I know Fred Gilbert just as well as I know you. If I'd 'a' kep' on shooting I could have made my millions as champion wing shot as easy as he has. He didn't have nothing on me when we was both shooting for a livin'. But that's all over, now. You've got to go so fur now to get decent shooting where the farmers won't drive you off, that it costs nine dollars to send a postcard home.”
”I think we'll have fine shooting on the slew in a few days,” said Newton.
”Humph!” scoffed Pete. ”I give you my word, if I hadn't promised the colonel I'd stay with him another year, I'd take a side-door Pullman for the Sand Hills of Nebraska or the Devil's Lake country to-morrow--if I had a gun.”
”If it wasn't for a pa.s.sel of things that keep me hyeh,” said Raymond, ”I'd like to go too.”
”The colonel,” said Pete, ”needs me. He needs me in the election to-morrow. What's the matter of your ol' man, Newt? What for does he vote for that Bonner, and throw down an old neighbor?”
”I can't do anything with him!” exclaimed Newton irritably. ”He's all tangled up with Peterson and Bonner.”
”Well,” said Pete, ”if he'd just stay at home, it would help some. If he votes for Bonner, it'll be just about a stand-off.”