“You got to keep yourself before the people, and do it all the time. If you don’t they’ll forgit you, and somebody else will reap your harvest,” Still explained to his ally. “Anybody as reaps for me is welcome to all he gets,” said Leech. The campaign opened, and soon Leech was as prominent as he could have wished. However prostrate the people were, they were not ready to have Leech for the Governor of the State, and they so declared. At a public meeting that was held, Steve Allen in a speech declared that “Krafton is a robber; but Leech is a thief.” Both Leech and Still were sensible of the stir; but they did not heed it. Leech was daily strengthening himself. When the rumor started that the whites were rousing up and were beginning to think of organizing in opposition, Leech only laughed. “Kick, will they?” said he. “I want ’em to kick. I’m fixed for ’em now. I’ve got the power I want behind me now, and the more they kick the more they’ll git the rowels. I guess you’re beginning to find out I’m pretty well seated?” he added triumphantly to Still. Still could not but admit that it was so. “Fact is, things’re goin’ almost too smooth,” he said. “You’re hard to please,” growled Leech. “No; but you know, sometimes I’m most afeered I’ll wake up and find it a dream. Here I am settin’ up, a gentleman here in this big house that I used to stand over yonder on the hill in the blazin’ sun and just look at, and wonder if I ever would have one even as good as the one I was then in as my own; and yonder are you, one of the big men in the State, and maybe will be Governor some day, who knows?” Leech accepted the compliment with becoming condescension. “That was a great stroke of yours to git the State to endorse the bonds and then git your man Bolter down here to put up that money. If this thing keeps up we soon won’t have to ask nobody any odds,” pursued Still. “I don’t ask any of ’em any odds now. When I get my militia fully organized, I’m going to make a move that will make things crack. And old Krafton will come down too. He thinks he’s driving, and he’s just holding the end of the reins.” “I don’t count so much on your militia as I do on your friends. I know these people, and I tell you, you can’t keep ’em down with niggers. If you try that you’ll have a bust up ’t will blow you—somewhere you won’t want to be,” cautioned Still. “I never was so much in favor of that militia business as you was. Comes to a fight, the whites will beat every time—and it costs too much. My taxes this year’ll be——” Leech frowned. “Your taxes! If it hadn’t been for high taxes I’d like to know where you’d been. You’re always talkin’ about knowin’ these people. You’re afraid of ’em. I’m not. I suppose it’s natural; we’ve whipped you.” There was a sudden lower in Still’s eye at the sneer.