RS. ELLIS and Principal Jones were in the drawing room, waiting to talk over the day with Hugh and Johnny.
Johnny was apparently more interested in the return of the gray stallion than in any other event.
“If I’d tried to stage anything like that, it sure would have failed,” he said, taking a turn up and down the parlor. “It was the big hit of the day, after your speech, Governor. But, say, Pink is some mad cowman. Everybody has hazed him today. Poor old fat man. Mrs. Morgan and Jessie both have turned against him, and now the Sioux Injun has stolen back the gray stallion!”
“Pink has turned mean,” Principal Jones laid down a report of Hugh’s speech in the evening paper.
“He’s harmless!” grunted Hugh.
“Harmless?” Mrs. Ellis raised her eyebrows. “Strikes me he was the little slide that finally started the whole avalanche. He’ll still bear watching.”
Before Hugh could reply, the doorman announced a visitor and old Charley Whitson came in, accompanied by Charles Grafton, the representative of the Eastern Electric Corporation.
Whitson was exceedingly businesslike. “Just two points, Governor, that I wanted to settle at once. First, that speech of yours today and the reception it got. That means just one thing, sir. You are booked for Washington.”
Hugh rose. “No!” he exclaimed, with all the earnestness at his command.
Whitson smiled. “Yes, Your Excellency!”
“Mr. Whitson!” exclaimed Mrs. Ellis, “really I don't see where you come in on that!”
The two old warriors looked at each other appraisingly. “Mrs. Ellis,” smiled Whitson, “I come in on the Children's Code, and also, thanks to the Governor, on the Thumb Butte dam.” He suddenly grew serious. “Madam, I have hungered all my life for Wyoming to produce a national possibility. By God, this state is going to ride into Washington on a Gray Stallion!”
“Mrs. Ellis is the big figure in Wyoming,” Hugh’s voice was arresting. “Don’t mistake some trick of personality of which I seem to be the unfortunate possessor for anything but what it is.”
“Mrs. Ellis could do nothing with the Children’s Code until you came into the running,” said Whitson brusquely.
“I’ve been valuable to Wyoming,” Hugh said, “because of a peculiar set of circumstances. When I’ve settled the problems connected with these, I want to return to private life.”
“You haven’t a chance in the world,” grunted Whitson. “I have come to you tonight to tell you that. And to tell you that I would be glad to whip the Children’s Code through both houses for you. In short, I am asking to climb aboard the bandwagon.”
Suddenly Hugh began to laugh. Mrs. Ellis joined him. Johnny Parnell let out a great roar. A moment later every one in the room was rocking with amusement.
Mrs. Ellis was the first to recover. “If the Governor will permit me,” she said, “I’ll accept your offer, Mr. Whitson.”
“The Governor,” chuckled Hugh, “is only too glad to give up a job he knows nothing about. Mr. Grafton, what can I do for you?”
Grafton, who had been a deeply interested spectator, bowed formally. “Governor, we are going to begin work on the dam at once. Next week we set off the first blast. So much history has been written around Thumb Butte that we want to make a real occasion of beginning the work. We want you to come to Fort Sioux and press the electric button that sets off that first blast.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then Hugh said, brusquely, “Where will that first blast be set?”
“In the cave, across the river from the Butte. It’s the picturesque point from which to fire the first shot.”
Silence again, with all eyes on Hugh. He stood, tall and slender, his eyes looking beyond the luxurious room, beyond the city in its holiday trappings, beyond the snow-swept plains to the cave, the cave where Bookie had left the body of Jimmie Duncan, where he had passed the most perfect hours of his working life, where he had taken Miriam into the secret place of his ambitions, the cave that was the burial place of the great triceratops.
A seemingly small and not unusual thing to ask of the Governor of a state. Yet all Hugh’s nature rose in revolt against granting the request. And yet again, so violent was his feeling that he dared not refuse. He had a sudden realization that this moment was the ultimate acid test of the sincerity of his decision made only a week before in the Dinosaur Cave.