It  Was  my  first  experience  of  heckling,  and  for  the  moment
I  was  taken  aback.  I  thought  of  Krebs.  He  had,  indeed,
been  in  my  mind  since  I  had  risen  to  my  feet,  and  I  had
scanned  the  faces  before  me  in  search  of  his.  But  it  was
not  his  voice.
"Well,  what  about  Bill  709?"  I  demanded.
"  You  ought  to  know  something  about  it,  I  guess,"  the
voice  responded.
"Put  him  out!"  came  from  various  portions  of  the  hall.
Inwardly,  I  was  shaken.  Not  —  in  orthodox  language  —
from  any  "conviction  of  sin."  Yet  it  was  my  first  intima-
tion that  my  part  in  the  legislation  referred  to  was  known
to  any  save  a  select  few.  I  blamed  Krebs,  and  a  hot  anger
arose  within  me  against  him.  After  all,  what  could  they
prove  ?

"No,  don't  put  him  out,"  I  said.  "Let  him  come  up  here
to  the  platform.  I'll  yield  to  him.  And  I'm  entirely  willing
to  discuss  with  him  and  defend  any  measures  passed  in  the
legislature  of  this  state  by  a  Republican  majority.  Per-
haps," I  added,  "the  gentleman  has  a  copy  of  the  law  in
his  pocket,  that  I  may  know  what  he  is  talking  about,  and
answer  him  intelligently."

At  this  there  was  wild  applause.  I  had  the  audience  with
me.  The  offender  remained  silent  and  presently  I  finished
my  speech.  After  that  Mr.  Mecklin  made  them  cheer  and
weep,  and  Mr.  Mellish  made  them  laugh.  The  meeting  had
been  highly  successful.
"You  polished  him  off,  all  right,"  said  George  Hutchins,
as  he  took  my  hand.
214  A  FAR  COUNTRY

"Who  was  he?"

"Oh,  one  of  the  local  soreheads.  Krebs  put  him  up  to  it,
of  course."

"Was  Krebs  here?"  I  asked.
