"Is Bill in the office?" Jap's lips were so stiff he could scarcely articulate.
"Sure he is," said Harlow cheerfully. "He wants you to ramble down there."
"There's a hen on, Jap," he confided, after they had taken leave of Flossy. "We'll try to hatch something this time. I'm going to get in the game again. You know the old saying: 'You mustn't keep a good dog chained up.'"
"Well?" queried Jap, his thoughts springing space and picturing what Bill might be doing. Wat was discreetly silent until they had passed through town and were inside the office. Bill, pale and haggard, looked up from his desk. He extended the paper he was writing on. Jap took it without a word.
"WAT HARLOW FOR GOVERNOR!"
"How's that for a head?" he demanded. "If we're going into this thing, we might as well go with both feet."
He looked into Jap's face. Their eyes met. With one voice they cried:
"Ellis!"
"'When Harlow runs for governor,'" Jap quoted tremulously, "'you will boom him. Till then, nothing doing in the Halls of Justice.' Bill, Ellis was a prophet. He even knew that he wouldn't be in the game. Wat, we'll put you across this time."
"Yes, and it'll be a nasty fight," Wat returned, as Bill leaned over and picked nervously at the ears of the office cat. "We've got Bronson Jones to buck up against, in all political probability. He's almost sure of the nomination."