and forefinger forked out a wad like a small haycock. Holding this
reinforcement within supporting distance he fired away with renewed
confidence.

"They're a flight of devouring locusts, and they're going for
everything green in this God blest land, if you want to know."

Here he pushed his reserve into the breach and when his gabble-gear
was again disengaged resumed his uplifting discourse.

"I had one of them on this ranch five years ago, and I'll tell you
about it, so that you can see the nub of this whole question. I
didn't pan out particularly well those days--drank more whisky than
was prescribed for me and didn't seem to care for my duty as a
patriotic American citizen; so I took that pagan in, as a kind of
cook. But when I got religion over at the Hill and they talked of
running me for the Legislature it was given to me to see the light.
But what was I to do? If I gave him the go somebody else would take
him, and mightn't treat him white. WHAT was I to do? What would any
good Christian do, especially one new to the trade and full to the
neck with the brotherhood of Man and the fatherhood of God?"

Jo. paused for a reply, with an expression of unstable satisfaction,
as of one who has solved a problem by a distrusted method. Presently
he rose and swallowed a glass of whisky from a full bottle on the
counter, then resumed his story.

"Besides, he didn't count for much--didn't know anything and gave
himself airs. They all do that. I said him nay, but he muled it
through on that line while he lasted; but after turning the other