第75章

"Bickoss us here," he answered, interlocking the tips of his fingers over his waistcoat, that being as near folding his hands as lay within his power,--"bickoss us here shall try to fix it so, und so hef ditcided."Joe took a deep breath."Why do you want me?""Dot," replied the brewer, "iss someding I shall tell you." He paused to contemplate his cigar.

"We want you bickoss you are der best man fer dot positsion.""Louie, you mustn't make a mistake at the beginning," Joe said, hurriedly."I may not be the kind of man you're looking for.If I went in--"He hesitated, stammering."It seems an ungrateful thing to say, but--but there wouldn't be any slackness--I couldn't be bound to anybody--""Holt up your hosses!" Mr.Farbach, once in his life, was so ready to reply that he was able to interrupt."Who hef you heert speak off bounding?

Hef I speakt off favors? Dit I say der shoult be slackness in der city gofer'ment? Litsen to me, Choe." He renewed his contemplation of his cigar, then proceeded: "I hef been t'inkin' it ofer, now a couple years.I hef mate up my mind.If some peobles are gombelt to keep der laws and oders are not, dot's a great atwantitch to der oders.

Dot iss what iss ruining der gountry und der peobles iss commencement to take notice.Efer'veres in oder towns der iss housecleaning; dey are reforming und indieding, und pooty soon dot mofement comes here--shoo-er! If we intent to holt der parsly in power, we shoult be a leetle ahead off dot mofement so, when it shoult be here, we hef a goot 'minadstration to fall beck on.Now, dere iss anoder brewery opened und trying to gombete mit me here in Canaan.If dot brewery owns der Mayor, all der tsaloons buying my bier must shut up at 'leven o'glock und Sundays, but der oders keep open.If I own der Mayor, I make der same against dot oder brewery.Now I am pooty sick off dot ways off bitsness und fighting all times.

Also," Mr.Farbach added, with magnificent calmness, "my trade iss larchly owitside off Canaan, und it iss bedder dot here der laws shoult be enforced der same fer all.Litsen, Choe; all us here beliefs der same way.You are square.Der whole tsaloon element knows dot, und knows dot all voult be treated der same.Mit you it voult be fairness fer each one.Foolish peobles hef sait you are a law-tricker, but we know dot you hef only mate der laws brotect as well as bunish.Und at such times as dey het been broken, you hef made dem as mertsiful as you coult.You are no tricker.

We are willing to help you make it a glean town.

Odervise der fightin' voult go on until der mofement strikes here und all der granks vake up und we git a fool reformer fer Mayor und der town goes to der dogs.If I try to put in a man dot I own, der oder brewery iss goin' to fight like hell, but if I work fer you it will not fight so hart.""But the other people," Joe objected."those outside of what is called the saloon element--do you understand how many of them will be against me?""It iss der tsaloon element," Mr.Farbach returned, peacefully, "dot does der fightin'.""And you have considered my standing with that part of Canaan which considers itself the most respectable section?" He rose to his feet, standing straight and quiet, facing the table, upon which, it chanced, there lay a copy of the Tocsin.

"Und yet," observed Mr.Farbach, with mildness, "we got some pooty risbecdable men right here.""Except me," broke in Mr.Sheehan, grimly, "you have.""Have you thought of this?" Joe leaned forward and touched the paper upon the table.

"We hef," replied Mr.Farbach."All of us.

You shall beat it,"

There was a strong chorus of confirmation from the others, and Joe's eyes flashed.

"Have you considered," he continued, rapidly, while a warm color began to conquer his pallor,--"have you considered the powerful influence which will be against me, and more against me now, Ishould tell you, than ever before? That influence, I mean, which is striving so hard to discredit me that lynch-law has been hinted for poor Fear if Ishould clear him! Have you thought of that?

Have you thought--"

"Have we thought o' Martin Pike?" exclaimed Mr.Sheehan, springing to his feet, face aflame and beard bristling."Ay, we've thought o' Martin Pike, and our thinkin' of him is where he begins to git what's comin' to him! What d'ye stand there pickin' straws fer? What's the matter with ye?" he demanded, angrily, his violence tenfold increased by the long repression he had put upon himself during the brewer's deliberate utterances.

"If Louie Farbach and his crowd says they're fer ye, I guess ye've got a chanst, haven't ye?""Wait," said Joe."I think you underestimate Pike's influence--""Underestimate the devil!" shouted Mr.Sheehan, uncontrollably excited."You talk about influence! He's been the worst influence this town's ever had--and his tracks covered up in the dark wherever he set his ugly foot down.These men know it, and you know some, but not the worst of it, because none of ye live as deep down in it as Ido! Ye want to make a clean town of it, ye want to make a little heaven of the Beach--""And in the eyes of Judge Pike," Joe cut him off, "and of all who take their opinions from him, I REPRESENT Beaver Beach!"Mike Sheehan gave a wild shout."Whooroo!

It's come! I knowed it would! The day I couldn't hold my tongue, though I passed my word I would when the coward showed the deed he didn't dare to git recorded! Waugh!" He shouted again, with bitter laughter."Ye do! In the eyes o'

them as follow Martin Pike ye stand fer the Beach and all its wickedness, do ye? Whooroo! It's come! Ye're an offence in the eyes o' Martin Pike and all his kind because ye stand fer the Beach, are ye?""You know it!" Joe answered, sharply."If they could wipe the Beach off the map and me with it--""Martin Pike would?" shouted Mr.Sheehan, while the others, open-mouthed, stared at him.

"Martin Pike would?"

"I don't need to tell you that," said Joe.

Mr, Sheehan's big fist rose high over the table and descended crashing upon it."It's a damn lie !" he roared."Martin Pike owns Beaver Beach!"