“‘Not any longer than I need,’ says Denver.
“Denver went ahead and worked things smooth. He dealt out money on the quiet to his lieutenants, and they were always coming after it. There was free drinks for everybody in town, and bands playing every night, and fireworks, and there was a lot of heelers going around buying up votes day and night for the new style of politics in Espiritu, and everybody liked it.
“The day set for the election was November 4th. On the night before Denver and me were smoking our pipes in headquarters, and in comes Hicks and unjoints himself, and sits in a chair, mournful. Denver is cheerful and confident. ‘Rompiro will win in a romp,’ says he. ‘We‘ll carry the country by 10,000. It’s all over but the vivas. To-morrow will tell the tale.’
“‘What’s going to happen to-morrow?’ asks Hicks.
“‘Why, the presidential election, of course,’ says Denver.
“‘Say,’ says Hicks, looking kind of funny, ‘did n’t anybody tell you fellows that the election was held a week before you came? Congress changed the date to July 27th. Roadrickeys was elected by 17,000. I thought you was booming old Rompiro for next term, two years from now. Wondered if you was going to keep up such a hot lick that long.’
“I dropped my pipe on the floor. Denver bit the stem off of his. Neither of us said anything.
“And then I heard a sound like somebody ripping a clapboard off of a barn-roof. ’T was Hicks laughing for the first time in eight years.”
