"I'll tell you how it was, boys. You got fooled, now, didn't you? You let 'em use you like old Samson used the foxes. Now, the next time one of those disturber fellows ties a blazing pine knot to your tail, you sit right down and gnaw the string in two before you start to run. Because a man holds office it's no sign he's a renegade. You'll usually find the renegades standing outside and slandering him and trying to get his office away for their own use. They got you going, didn't they, when they went around telling that I thought I owned you in this district, body and soul? Got you jealous and suspicious and mad? Can you afford to be jealous and mad when you've got a fellow like Harlan Thornton willing to go down to the legislature and work for you? Do you want one of those blatherskites to represent you? Now tell me!" "Poor men that have to work all the time don't have the chance to look into public things as much as they ought to," said one of the men, apologetically. "And sometimes when a fellow comes around who can talk smooth we get fooled." "You've bought a lot of fake things from travelling agents in this county. Now don't buy fake politics," He took the checks from his grandson's hand. Harlan had brought them, and a pen. He cocked his knee and scrawled his signature. They came to him and took their checks. Each stood there, holding the slip of paper awkwardly pinched between thumb and forefinger. The Duke waited. "I want to say this," stammered the spokesman. "You get fooled sometimes. Most often in politics. But no one can fool us again--not about the Thornton family." "Pass that word around the district, boys," advised the Duke, complacently. "There's an election coming, you know." They departed, three new and promising evangelists. "Campaign expenses, bub," broke in the old man, when Harlan began; "campaign expenses! It's a soggy lump of dough out back there. That kind of yeast will lighten it." He looked across at the hills, squinting reflectively again, and at last glanced up at his grandson, who stood regarding him with thoughtful hesitation. "Say it, boy!" he counselled. "A little more bile left over from yesterday?" "No, sir! Not that. But I think I'll send Ben Kyle in with the crews and let him locate the new camps." "I didn't intend to have you go back--not if you'd listen to me. We've got men enough to attend to that sort of work, Harlan. I want you with me for a while. I've got some plans for you." "And I've got a few plans for myself. Now that I'm in this, I propose to be in it in earnest." "You wouldn't be a Thornton if you didn't get at it all over," commended the Duke. "You see, I understood you, boy!"