We worked like troopers, day and night, until election day came. Then we had our revenge to its fullest extent. The bonds were defeated by a small majority.
The campaign cost us over a hundred dollars, but the satisfaction of getting even with those fellows was worth five times as much. Other companies have their lines running through the county, but Logwater has no railroad to this day.
We were in the city when the election returns came in. While the result was still in doubt the citizens did not seem at all cordial, but we were not in actual peril of our lives. When, however, it became certain beyond a doubt that the bonds were defeated, we were called upon by a deputation, who announced that if we were seen on the streets after two hours had elapsed there would be two dead fakirs.
We skipped.
There was no mistake about the people being in earnest, and the danger was that as we went some vicious fellows of the baser sort might follow with the idea of doing us some bodily damage, even before the given time had elapsed. Out in the country we knew we could find plenty of friends, but there was nothing to keep us in that vicinity, and the night being fairly bright we drove along quite merrily for perhaps a dozen miles. Then, just at the entrance of a small town, one of the horses broke through a rotten plank on a culvert, and there was a sudden halt. The doctor remained in the wagon, but I took a sprawling leap forward, which landed me on top of the struggling horses.
Fortunately, I was uninjured, though the team was not as lucky. The horse that went into the culvert sprained a leg, while the other got a cut in the hock from a splintered single-tree.
There was a little tavern right in the center of the town, and we made our way there as best we could. The landlord was aroused from a sound sleep by a most vigorous pounding on the door, and the porter—for there was one even in this heaven-forsaken hole—did not show himself at all until it was time for breakfast, some hours later. We got the horses into the barn, and by the light of a lantern took stock of damages.
We saw that the team would not be fit to proceed for some days, and I myself began to feel as though I had been a trifle shaken up. Consequently, we resigned ourselves to the inevitable and went to bed.
It was in this little town that we worked a scheme which seems to have a peculiar fascination and seldom fails to win out. During the first day and evening we made a few sales from the wagon, but the population did not justify a more extended effort. Though there were a good many people visiting the tavern during the day, there were not enough in the town to furnish a working audience. We got up a lottery at the hotel, however, which was managed after this fashion:
Among our other assets was a fine looking “gold watch” worth any price you may choose to put on it, though it actually stood us at about fifteen dollars.