Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Hewasagoodlawyer,agoodbusinessman,keen,clear-headed,far-sighted,hadalreadysomepracticalknowledgeofpolitics,havingservedatermasassistantdistrictattorney,andevenatthepresentmomentoccupyingthepositionofsheriff’sattorney.Morethanall,hewasthesonofMagnusDerrick;hecouldbereliedupon,couldbetrustedimplicitlytoremainloyaltotheranchers’cause.

           ThecampaignforRailroadCommissionerhadbeenveryinteresting.AttheveryoutsetMagnus’scommitteefounditselfinvolvedincorruptpolitics.Theprimarieshadtobecapturedatallcostsandbyanymeans,andwhentheconventionassembleditwasfoundnecessarytobuyoutrightthevotesofcertaindelegates.ThecampaignfundraisedbycontributionsfromMagnus,Annixter,Broderson,andOstermanwasdrawnupontotheextentoffivethousanddollars.

           Onlythecommitteeknewofthiscorruption.TheLeague,ignoringwaysandmeans,supposedasamatterofcoursethatthecampaignwashonorablyconducted.

           Forawholeweekaftertheconsummationofthispartofthedeal,Magnushadkepttohishouse,refusingtobeseen,allegingthathewasill,whichwasnotfarfromthetruth.Theshameofthebusiness,theloathingofwhathehaddone,weretohimthingsunspeakable.HecouldnolongerlookHarranintheface.Hebeganacourseofdeceptionwithhiswife.Morethanonce,hehadresolvedtobreakwiththewholeaffair,resigninghisposition,allowingtheotherstoproceedwithouthim.Butnowitwastoolate.Hewaspledged.HehadjoinedtheLeague.