“Have you give the Dagoes up altogether?” “No, by----!” cried the committee-man harshly, bringing his dirty fist down on the other's knee. “Did you ever hear of Frank Pixley weakenin'? Did you ever see the man that said Frank Pixley wasn't game?” He rose to his feet, a ragged and sinister silhouette against the sputtering electric light at the alley mouth. “Didn't you ever hear that Frank Pixley had a barrel of schemes to any other man's bucket o' wind? What's Frank Pixley's repitation, lemme ast you that? I git what I go after, don't I? Now look here, you listen to me,” he said, lowering his voice and shaking a bent forefinger earnestly in the policeman's face; “I'm goin' to turn the trick. And I _ought_ to do it, too. That there Pete, he ain't worth the powder to blow him up--you couldn't learn him no politics if you set up with him night after night fer a year. Didn't I _try? Try_? I dern near bust my head open jest thinkin' up ways to make the flathead _see_. And he wouldn't make no effort, jest set there and parrot out 'Vote a Republican!' He's ongrateful, that's what he is. Well, him and them other Dagoes are goin' to stay at home fer two weeks, beginnin' to-night.” “I'll be dogged if I see how,” said the policeman, lifting his helmet to scratch his head. “I'll show you how. I don't claim no credit fer the idea, I ain't around blowin' my own horn too often, but I'd like fer somebody to jest show me any other man in this city could have thought it out! I'd like to be showed jest one, that's all, jest one! Now, you look here; you see that nigger shanty over there, with the smallpox lanterns outside?” The policeman shivered slightly. “Yes.” “Look here; they're rebuildin' the pest-house, ain't they?” “Yes.” “Leavin' smallpox patients in their own holes under quarantine guard till they git a place to put 'em, ain't they?” “Yes.” “You know how many niggers in that shack?” “Four, ain't they?” “Yessir, four of 'em. One died to-night, another's goin' to, another ain't tellin' which way he's goin' yit; and the last one, Joe Cribbins, was the first to take it; and he's almost plumb as good as ever ag'in. He's up and around the house, helpin' nurse the sick ones, and fit fer hard labour. Now look here; that nigger does what I _tell_ him and he does it quick--see? Well, he knows what I want him to do to-night. So does Charley Gruder, the guard over there. Charley's fixed; I seen to that; and he knows he ain't goin' to lose no job fer the nigger's gittin' out of the back winder to go make a little sociable call this evening.” “What!” exclaimed the policeman, startled; “Charley ain't goin' to let that nigger out!” “Ain't he? Oh, you needn't worry, he ain't goin' _fur_! All he's waiting fer is fer you to give the signal.” “Me!” The man in the helmet drew back.