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I'll be damned！〃 he commented。 〃They've got a nerve！ What？〃
〃I've been talking to this fellow Klemm of the twentieth；〃 said Mr。 Tiernan； sardonically。 〃Say； he's a real one！ I met him over at the Tremont talkin' to Hvranek。 He shakes hands like a dead fish。 Whaddye think he had the nerve to say to me。 'This isn't the Mr。 Tiernan of the second？' he says。
〃'I'm the same；' says I。
〃'Well； you don't look as savage as I thought you did；' says he。 Haw…haw！ I felt like sayin'； 'If you don't go way I'll give you a slight tap on the wrist。' I'd like just one pass at a stiff like that up a dark alley。〃 （Mr。 Tiernan almost groaned in anguish。） 〃And then he begins to say he doesn't see how there can be any reasonable objection to allowin' various new companies to enter the street…car field。 'It's sufficiently clear；' he says； 'that the public is against monopolies in any form。'〃 （Mr。 Tiernan was mocking Mr。 Klemm's voice and language。） 〃My eye！〃 he concluded； sententiously。 〃Wait till he tries to throw that dope into Gumble and Pinski and Schlumbohmhaw； haw； haw！〃
Mr。 Kerrigan； at the thought of these hearty aldermen accustomed to all the perquisites of graft and rake…off； leaned back and gave vent to a burst of deep…chested laughter。 〃I'll tell you what it is； Mike；〃 he said； archly； hitching up his tight； very artistic； and almost English trousers； 〃we're up against a bunch of pikers in this Gilgan crowd； and they've gotta be taught a lesson。 He knows it as well as anybody else。 None o' that Christian con game goes around where I am。 I believe this man Cowperwood's right when he says them fellows are a bunch of soreheads and jealous。 If Cowperwood's willing to put down good hard money to keep 'em out of his game； let them do as much to stay in it。 This ain't no charity grab…bag。 We ought to be able to round up enough of these new fellows to make Schryhart and MacDonald come down good and plenty for what they want。 From what Gilgan said all along； I thought he was dealing with live ones。 They paid to win the election。 Now let 'em pay to pull off a swell franchise if they want it； eh？〃
〃You're damn right；〃 echoed Tiernan。 〃I'm with you to a T。〃
It was not long after this conversation that Mr。 Truman Leslie MacDonald； acting through Alderman Klemm； proceeded to make a count of noses； and found to his astonishment that he was not as strong as he had thought he was。 Political loyalty is such a fickle thing。 A number of aldermen with curious namesHorback； Fogarty； McGrane； Sumulskyshowed signs of being tampered with。 He hurried at once to Messrs。 Hand； Schryhart； and Arneel with this disconcerting information。 They had been congratulating themselves that the recent victory； if it resulted in nothing else； would at least produce a blanket 'L' road franchise； and that this would be sufficient to bring Cowperwood to his knees。
Upon receiving MacDonald's message Hand sent at once for Gilgan。 When he inquired as to how soon a vote on the General Electric franchisewhich had been introduced by Mr。 Klemmcould reasonably be expected； Gilgan declared himself much grieved to admit that in one direction or other considerable opposition seemed to have developed to the measure。
〃What's that？〃 said Hand； a little savagely。 〃Didn't we make a plain bargain in regard to this？ You had all the money you asked for； didn't you？ You said you could give me twenty…six aldermen who would vote as we agreed。 You're not going to go back on your bargain； are you？〃
〃Bargain！ bargain！〃 retorted Gilgan； irritated because of the spirit of the assault。 〃I agreed to elect twenty…six Republican aldermen； and that I did。 I don't own 'em body and soul。 I didn't name 'em in every case。 I made deals with the men in the different wards that had the best chance； and that the people wanted。 I'm not responsible for any crooked work that's going on behind my back； am I？ I'm not responsible for men's not being straight if they're not？〃
Mr。 Gilgan's face was an aggrieved question…mark。
〃But you had the picking of these men；〃 insisted Mr。 Hand； aggressively。 〃Every one of them had your personal indorsement。 You made the deals with them。 You don't mean to say they're going back on their sacred agreement to fight Cowperwood tooth and nail？ There can't be any misunderstanding on their part as to what they were elected to do。 The newspapers have been full of the fact that nothing favorable to Cowperwood was to be put through。〃
〃That's all true enough；〃 replied Mr。 Gilgan； 〃but I can't be held responsible for the private honesty of everybody。 Sure I selected these men。 Sure I did！ But I selected them with the help of the rest of the Republicans and some of the Democrats。 I had to make the best terms I couldto pick the men that could win。 As far as I can find out most of 'em are satisfied not to do anything for Cowperwood。 It's passing these ordinances in favor of other people that's stirring up the trouble。〃
Mr。 Hand's broad forehead wrinkled； and his blue eyes surveyed Mr。 Gilgan with suspicion。 〃Who are these men； anyhow？〃 he inquired。 〃I'd like to get a list of them。〃
Mr。 Gilgan； safe in his own subtlety； was ready with a toll of the supposed recalcitrants。 They must fight their own battles。 Mr。 Hand wrote down the names； determining meanwhile to bring pressure to bear。 He decided also to watch Mr。 Gilgan。 If there should prove to be a hitch in the programme the newspapers should be informed and commanded to thunder appropriately。 Such aldermen as proved unfaithful to the great trust imposed on them should be smoked out； followed back to the wards which had elected them； and exposed to the people who were behind them。 Their names should be pilloried in the public press。 The customary hints as to Cowperwood's deviltry and trickery should be redoubled。
But in the mean time Messrs。 Stimson； Avery； McKibben； Van Sickle； and others were on Cowperwood's behalf acting separately upon various unattached aldermenthose not temperamentally and chronically allied with the reform ideaand making them understand that if they could find it possible to refrain from supporting anti…Cowperwood measures for the next two years； a bonus in the shape of an annual salary of two thousand dollars or a gift in some other formperhaps a troublesome note indorsed or a mortgage taken care ofwould be forthcoming； together with a guarantee that the general public should never know。 In no case was such an offer made direct。 Friends or neighbors； or suave unidentified strangers； brought mysterious messages。 By this method some eleven aldermenquite apart from the ten regular Democrats who； because of McKenty and his influence； could be counted uponhad been already suborned。 Although Schryhart； Hand； and Arneel did not know it； their plans even as they plannedwere being thus undermined； and； try as they would； the coveted ordinance for a blanket franchise persistently eluded them。 They had to content themselves for the time being with a franchise for a single 'L' road line on the South Side in Schryhart's own territory； and with a franchise to the General Electric covering only one unimportant line； which it would be easy for Cowperwood； if he continued in power； to take over at some later time。
Chapter XL
A Trip to Louisville
The most serious difficulty confronting Cowperwood from now on was really not so much political as financial。 In building up and financing his Chicago street…railway enterprises he had； in those days when Addison was president of the Lake City National； used that bank as his chief source of supply。 Afterward； when Addison had been forced to retire from the Lake City to assume charge of the Chicago Trust Company； Cowperwood had succeeded in having the latter designated as a central reserve and in inducing a number of rural banks to keep their special deposits in its vaults。 However； since the war on him and his interests had begun to strengthen through the efforts of Hand and Arneelmen most influential in the control of the other central…reserve banks of Chicago； and in close touch with the money barons of New York there were signs not wanting that some of the country banks depositing with the Chicago Trust Company had been induced to withdraw because of pressure from outside inimical forces； and that more were to follow。 It was some time before Cowperwood fully realized to what an extent this financial opposition might be directed against himself。 In its very beginning it necessitated speedy hurryings to New York； Philadelphia； Cincinnati； Baltimore； Bostoneven London at timeson the chance that there would be loose and ready cash in someone's possession。 It was on one of these peregrinations that he encountered a curious personality which led to various complications in his life； sentimental and otherwise； which he had not hitherto contemplated。
In various sections of the country Cowperwood had met many men of wealth； some grave； some gay； with whom he did business； and among these in Louisville； Kentucky； he encountered a certain Col。 Nathaniel Gillis； very wealthy； a horseman； inventor； roue； from whom he occasionally extracted loans。 The Colonel was an interesting figure in Kentucky society