“I shall deny it over my signature.”
“Of course. The trouble will be to get people to believe your denial with Quinton’s affidavit staring them in the face. It seems they have got hold of a letter, too, that you wrote. Deny it, of course, then lie low and give the public time to forget it.”
“Do you mean that I should withdraw from the senatorial race?”
“That’s entirely as you please, colonel, but I’m afraid you’ll find your support will slip away from you.”
“Do you mean that YOU won’t support me, seh?”
Ridgway locked his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “We’ve got to face facts, colonel. In the light of this exposure you can’t be elected.”
“But I tell you, by Gad, seh, that I mean to deny it.”
“Certainly. I should in your place,” agreed the mine-owner coolly. “The question is, how many people are going to believe you?”
Tiny sweat-beads stood on the forehead of the Arkansan. His manner was becoming more and more threatening. “You pledged me your support. Are you going to throw me down, seh?”
“You have thrown yourself down, Pelton. Is it my fault you bungled the thing and left evidence against you? Am I to blame because you wrote incriminating letters?”