“That’swhosheis!“saidtheGovernor，rememberingMrs。McLeanallatonce。“Iknowher。SheusedtobeatSidney。She’sgotanotherhusbandsomewhere。She’soneoftheboys。Oh，that’snothinginthiscountry!“hecontinuedtotheamazedOgden，whohadejaculated“Bigamy!““Lotsofthemmarry，livetogetherawhile，gettiredandquit，travel，catchontoanewman，marryhim，gettiredandquit，travel，catchon——“
“Onemoment，Ibeg，“saidOgden，adjustinghisglasses。“Whatdoesthelaw——“
“Law？“saidtheGovernor。“Lookatthatplace!“Heswepthishandtowardsthevastplainsandthemountains。“Ninety-fivethousandsquaremilesofthat，andsixtythousandpeopleinit。Wehaven’tgotpolicemenyetontopoftheRockyMountains。“
“Isee，“saidtheNew-Yorker。“But——but——wellletAandBrepresentfirstandsecondhusbands，andXrepresentthewoman。Now，doesAknowaboutB？ordoesBknowaboutA？Andwhatdotheydoaboutit？“
“Can’tsay，“theGovernoranswered，jovially。“Can’tgeneralize。Dependsonheapsofthings——love——money——Didyougotocollege？Well，letA
minusXequalBplusX，thenifAandBgetsquared——“
“Oh，cometolunch，“Isaid。“Barker，doyoureallyknowthefirsthusbandisalive？“
“Wasn’tdeadlastwinter。“AndBarkergaveustheparticulars。MissKatiePeckhadnotservedlongintherestaurantbeforeshewaswooedandwonbyamanwhohadbeenaranchcook，asheep-herder，abar-tender，afreighthand，andwasthenhaulingpolesforthegovernment。Duringhisnecessaryabsencesfromhomeshe，too，wentout-of-doors。Thisheoftendiscovered，andwouldbeather，andshewouldthenalsobeathim。Afterthebeatingsoneofthemwouldalwaysleavetheotherforever。ThuswasSidneykeptinsmall-talkuntilMrs。Luskonedayreallydidnotcomeback。“Lusk，“saidtheGovernor，finishinghisstory，“criedaroundthesaloonsforacoupleofdays，andthenwentonhaulingpolesforthegovernment，tillatlasthesaidhe’dheardofabetterjobsouth，andnextweknewofhimhewasroundLeavenworth。Luskwasaprettypoorbird。Owesmetendollars。“
“Well，“Isaid，“noneofuseverknewabouthimwhenshecametostaywithMrs。TayloronBearCreek。ShewasMissPeckwhenLinmadeherMrs。
McLean。“
“You’llnotice，“saidtheGovernor，“howshehasgothimunderinthreeweeks。Oldhand，yousee。“
“PoorLin!“Isaid。
“Lucky，Icallhim，“saidtheGovernor。“Hecanquither。“
“SupposingMcLeandoesnotwanttoquither？“
“She’seducatinghimtowanttorightnow，andIthinkhe’lllearnprettyquick。IguessMr。Lin’sromancewasn’tveryidealthistrip。Hello!herecomesJode。Jode，won’tyoulunchwithus？Mr。Ogden，ofNewYork，Mr。
Jode。Mr。Jodeisoursignal-serviceofficer，Mr。Ogden。“TheGovernor’seyesweresparklinghilariously，andhewinkedatme。
“Gentlemen，good-morning。Mr。Ogden，Iamhonoredtomakeyouracquaintance，“saidthesignal-serviceofficer。
“Jode，whenisitgoingtorain？“saidtheGovernor，anxiously。
NowJodeisthemostextraordinarilysolemnmanIhaveeverknown。Hehasthesolemnityofallscience，addedtotheunspeakableweightofrepresentingfiveoftheoldestfamiliesinSouthCarolina。TheJodesthemselveswerenotoldinSouthCarolina，butimmenselysoin——IthinkhetoldmeitwasLongIsland。HisnameisPoinsettMiddletonManigaultJode。Heusedtoweighahundredandtwenty-eightpoundsthen，buthishealthhasstrengthenedinthatclimate。Hisclotheswereblack；hisfacewaswhite，withblackeyessharpasapin；hehadtheshapeofaspout——
thesamenarrowsizeallthewaydown——andhisvoicewasasdryandlightasanegg-shell。InhisfirstdaysatCheyennehehadconstantlychallengedlargecowboysfortakingfamiliaritieswithhisdignity，andthey，afteronemoment’sbewilderment，hadconcoctedapologiesthatentirelymethisexactions，andgavethemmuchsatisfactionalso。NobodywouldhavehurtJodefortheworld。IntimehecametoseethatWyomingwasagameinventedafterhisbookofruleswaspublished，andhelookedon，butcouldnotplaythegame。Hehadfallen，alongwithotherincongruities，intotheroaringWesternhotch-pot，andhepassedhiscareful，precisedayswithbarometersandweather-charts。
HeansweredtheGovernorwithofficialandSouthCarolinaimpressiveness。
“Thereisnoindicationofdiminutionoftheprevailingpressure，“hesaid。
“Well，that’swhatIthought，“saidthejoyousGovernor，“soI’mgoingtowhoopherup。“
“Whatdoyouexpecttowhoopup，sir？“
“Atmosphere，andallthat，“saidtheGovernor。“Wholebusinesshasgottogetamoveon。I’vesentforarain-maker。“
“Governor，youarecertainlyawag，sir，“saidJode，whoenjoyedBarkerassomepeopleenjoyasymphony，withoutunderstandingit。Butafterwehadreachedtheclubandwerelunching，andJoderealizedthataletterhadactuallybeenwrittentellingHilbruntocomeandbringhisshowerswithhim，thepunctilioussignal-serviceofficerstatedhisposition。
“Haveyourjoke，sir，“hesaid，wavingathin，cleanhand，“butIdeclinetomeethim。“
“Hilbrun？“saidtheGovernor，staring。
“Ifthat’shisname——yes，sir。AsamemberoftheWeatherBureauandtheMeteorologicalSocietyIcanhavenothingtodowiththefellow。“
“Glory!“saidtheGovernor。“Well，Isupposenot。Iseeyourpoint，Jode。
I’llbecarefultokeepyouapart。AsamemberoftheCollegeofPhysiciansI’vefeltthatwayabouthomeopathyandthefaith-cure。Allverywellifpatientswillcall’emin，butcan’tmeet’eminconsultation。Butthreemonths’droughtannually，Jode!It’sslow——tooslow。TheWesternpeoplefeelthatthisconservativemethodtheZodiacdoesitsbusinessbyisoutofdate。“
“Iamquiteserious，sir，“saidJode。“Andletmeexpressmygratificationthatyoudoseemypoint。“Sowechangedthesubject。
Ourweatherschemedidnotatfirstgreatlymovethepublic。Beyondthosewhomadeupthepurse，fewofouracquaintancesexpressedcuriosityaboutHilbrun，andnextafternoonLinMcLeantoldmeinthestreetthathewasdisgustedwithCheyenne’scoldnesstowardtheenterprise。“Buttheboyswouldflyrightatitandstaywithitiftheround-upwasneartown，youbet，“saidhe。
Hewaswalkingalone。“How’sMrs。McLeanto-day？“Iinquired。
“She’swell，“saidLin，turninghiseyefrommine。“Who’syourfriendallbuggedupinEnglishclothes？“
“Aboutasgoodamanasyou，“saidI，“andmorecautious。“
“Himandhiseye-glasses!“saidthescepticalpuncher，stilllookingawayfrommeandsurveyingOgden，whowasapproachingwiththeGovernor。Thatexcellentman，stillatlongrange，brokeoutsmilingtillhisteethshone，andhewavedayellowpaperatus。
“TelegramfromHilbrun，“heshouted；“behereto-morrow“；andhehastenedup。
“Sayshewantsacartatthedepot，andasmallbuildingwherehecanbeprivate，“addedOgden。“Great，isn’tit？“
“Youbet!“saidLin，brightening。TheNewYorker’surbanebutobviousexcitementmollifiedMr。McLean。“Everseenrainmade，Mr。Ogden？“saidhe。
“Never。Haveyou？“
Linhadnot。Ogdenofferedhimacigar，whichthepuncherpronouncedexcellent，andweallagreedtoseeHilbrunarrive。
“We’regoingtoshowthetelegramtoJode，“saidtheGovernor；andheandOgdendepartedonthismissiontothesignalservice。
“Well，Imustbegettingalongmyself，“saidLin；buthecontinuedwalkingslowlywithme。“Where’reyu’bound？“hesaid。
“Nowhereinparticular，“saidI。Andwepacedtheboardsidewalksalittlemore。
“You’regoingtomeetthetrainto-morrow？“saidhe。
“Thetrain？Ohyes。Hilbrun’s。To-morrow。You’llbethere？“
“Yes，I’llbethere。It’ssurebeenadryspell，ain’tit？“
“Yes。Justlikelastyear。Infact，likealltheyears。“
“Yes。I’veneversawitrainanytospeakofinsummer。Iexpectit’stherule。Don’tyou？“
“Ishouldn’twonder。“
“Idon’tguessanymanknowsenoughtobreaksucharule。Doyou？“
“No。Butit’llbefuntoseehimtry。“
“Surefun!Well，Imustbegettingalong。Seeyu’to-morrow。“
“Seeyouto-morrow，Lin。“
Heleftmeatacorner，andIstoodwatchinghistall，depressedfigure。
Ahundredyardsdownthestreetheturned，andseeingmelookingafterhim，pretendedhehadnotturned；andthenItookmystepstowardtheclub，tellingmyselfthatIhadbeensomethingofaskunk；forIhadinquiredforMrs。McLeaninacertaintone，andIhadhintedtoLinthathehadlackedcaution；andthiswasnothingbutawayofsaying“Itoldyouso“tothemanthatisdown。DownLincertainlywas，althoughithadnotcomesohometomeuntilourlittlewalktogetherjustnowalongtheboards。
AttheclubIfoundtheGovernorteachingOgdenaCheyennespecialty——aparticulardrink，theAllstoncocktail。“It’sthebittersthatdoesthetrick，“hewassaying，butsawmeandcalledout：“YououghttohavebeenwithusandseenJode。Ishowedhimthetelegram，youknow。Hereaditthrough，andjusthandeditbacktome，andwentonmonkeyingwithhisanemometer。Everseenhisinstruments？Everyfreshjiggertheygetouthesendsfor。Well，hemonkeyedaway，andwouldn’tsayaword，soIsaid，’Youunderstand，Jode，thistelegramcomesfromHilbrun。’AndJode，hequithisanemometerandsaid，’Imakenodoubt，sir，thatyourdespatchisgenuwine。’Oh，SouthCarolina’sindignantatme!“AndtheGovernorslappedhisknee。“Why，he’ssosetagainstHilbrun，“hecontinued，“I
guessifheknewofsomethinghecouldexplodetostoprainhe’dletherfly!“
“No，hewouldn’t，“saidI。“He’dnotconsiderthathonorable。“
“That’sso，“theGovernorassented。“Jode’llplayfair。“
Itwasthuswehadcometolookatourenterprise——agamebetweenawell-established，respectableweatherbureauandanupstartcharlatan。
Anditwasthecharlatanhadoursympathy——asallcharlatans，whetherreligious，military，medical，political，orwhatnot，havewiththeaverageAmerican。Wemethimatthestation。Thatis，Ogden，McLean，andI；andtheGovernor，beingengaged，sentunofficiallyhissecretaryandtherequestedcart。Linwasanxioustoseewhatwouldbeputinthecart，andIwascuriousabouthowarain-makerwouldlook。Butheturnedoutanunassuming，quietmaninblueserge，withafaceyoucouldnotrememberafterwards，andafewcivil，ordinaryremarks。Heevensaiditwasahotday，asifhehadnorelationswiththeweather；andwhatheputintothecartwereonlytwopacking-boxesofnospecialsignificancetotheeye。
Hedesirednolodgingatthehotel，buttosleepwithhisapparatusinthebuildingprovidedforhim；andwesetoutforitatonce。Itwasanuntenantedbarn，andheaskedthatheandhisassistantmightcutaholeintheroof，uponwhichwenoticedtheassistantforthefirsttime——atallish，good-lookingyoungman，butwithaweakmouth。“ThisisMr。
Lusk，“saidtherain-maker；andweshookhands，OgdenandIexchangingaglance。OurselvesandthecartmarchedupHillStreet——orCapitolAvenue，asithasbecomenamedsinceCheyennehasgrownfullerofpompandemptierofprosperity——andIthoughtwemadeanunusualprocession：theGovernor’ssecretary，unofficiallyleadingthewaytothebarn；thecart，andtherain-makerbesideit，guardinghispacked-upmysteries；McLeanandLusk，walkingtogetherinunconsciousbigamy；andintherear，Odgennudgingmeintheribs。ThatitwasthecorrectLuskwehadwithusI
feltsurefromhisincompetent，healthy，vacantappearance，strong-bodiedandshiftless——thesortofmantowearyofonetradeandanother，andmakeafailureofwifebeatingbetweenwhiles。InTwenty-fourthStreet——
thetown’suttermostrim——theGovernormetus，andstaredatLusk。
“Christopher!“washissingleobservation；butheneverforgetsaface——
cannotaffordto，nowthatheisinpolitics；and，besides，Luskrememberedhim。Youseldomreallyforgetamantowhomyouowetendollars。
“Soyou’vequithaulingpoles？“saidtheGovernor。
“Nothinginit，sir，“saidLusk。
“Isthereanyobjectiontomyhavingaholeintheroof？“askedtherain-maker；forthisthesecretaryhadbeenunabletotellhim。
“What!goingtothrowyourbombsthroughit？“saidtheGovernor，smilingheartily。
Buttherain-makerexplainedatoncethathiswasnotthebombsystem，butamethodattendedbymorerainandlessdisturbance。“Notthatthebombdon’tproducefirst-classresultsattimesandundercircumstances，“