“I heard that and told Waring. He laughed and said he hoped he would live till Pelton killed him. I like Waring. He’s got the guts, as his miners say. But he’s away off on this fight. He’s using money right and left just as Harley is.”
Yesler nodded. “The whole town’s corrupted. It takes bribery for granted. Men meet on the street and ask what the price of votes is this morning. Everybody feels prosperous.”
“I heard that a chambermaid at the Quartzite Hotel found seven thousand dollars in big bills pinned to the bottom of a mattress in Garner’s room yesterday. He didn’t dare bank it, of course.”
“Poor devil! He’s another man that would like to be honest, but with the whole place impregnated with bribery he couldn’t stand the pressure. But after this is all over he’ll go home to his wife and his neighbors with the canker of this thing at his heart until he dies. I tell you, Jack, I’m for stopping it if we can.”
“How?”
“There’s one way. I’ve been approached indirectly by Pelton, to deliver our vote to the Consolidated. Suppose we arrange to do it, get evidence, and make a public exposure.”
They were alone in a private dining-room of a restaurant, but Yesler’s voice had fallen almost to a whisper. With his steady gray eyes he looked across at the man who had ridden the range with him fifteen years ago when he had not had a sou to bless himself with.
Roper tugged at his long drooping mustache and gazed at his friend. “It’s a large order, Sam, a devilish large order. Do you reckon we could deliver?”
“I think so. There are six of us that will stand pat at any cost. If we play our cards right and keep mum the surprise of it is bound to shake votes loose when we spring the bomb. The whole point is whether we can take advantage of that surprise to elect a decent man. I don’t say it can be done, but there’s a chance of it.”
The old stage-driver laughed softly. “We’ll be damned good and plenty by both sides.”