of crowd-making if you like, but the Members of the Board can testify to
it. Will that do?'

The women had closed in another pace, with hands that clenched and
unclenched at their sides.

'Good! Good enough!' the men cried. 'We're content. Only take them away
quickly.'

'Come along up!' said De Forest to the captives, 'Breakfast is quite
ready.'

It appeared, however, that they did not wish to go. They intended to
remain in Chicago and make crowds. They pointed out that De Forest's
proposal was gross invasion of privacy.

'My dear fellow,' said Pirolo to the most voluble of the leaders, 'you
hurry, or your crowd that can't be wrong will kill you!'

'But that would be murder,' answered the believer in crowds; and there
was a roar of laughter from all sides that seemed to show the crisis
had broken.

A woman stepped forward from the line of women, laughing, I protest, as
merrily as any of the company. One hand, of course, shaded her eyes, the
other was at her throat.

'Oh, they needn't be afraid of being killed!' she called.

'Not in the least,' said De Forest. 'But don't you think that, now the