We must get such
things decided. We can't stop because of a little localized popular
clamour."
"Are there many such cases up in the Durham country?" asked Bob.
"Probably a dozen or so."
"Isn't it likely that those men have got behind Samuels in order to
discourage action on their own cases?"
"I think there's no doubt of it," answered Thorne, "but the point is,
they've been fighting tooth and nail from the start. We had felt out
their strength from the first, and it developed nothing like this."
"That's where Erbe comes in," suggested Bob.
"Probably."
"It don't amount to nothin'," said California John. "In the first place,
it's only the 'nesters,' [A] the saloon crowd, who are after you for
Austin's case; and the usual muck of old-timers and loafers who either
think they own the country and ought to have a free hand in everything
just as they're used to, or who are agin the Government on general
principles. I don't believe the people at Durham are behind this. I bet
a vote would give us a majority right now."
"Well, the majority stays in the house, then," observed Ross Fletcher
drily.
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