Flies and Fly-faking. 373 



have the position. Up to that time the alternative of 

 idling three or four days in Golden or abandoning our 

 trip up the Columbia had put the men of our party 

 deep in the dumps. But now life had a fresh interest, 

 and we were in no hurry. We would beguile that 

 blatherskite if it was in the Book of Fate, no matter 

 what moral obliquity it might entail. 



So after our lady had comforted the girl to the best 

 of her ability, assuring her that we would take her part 

 and that our powers of persuasion were such that we 

 could coax a cast-iron image into dancing a gavotte if 

 we chose, our junior undertook to so entertain the girl 

 that she should have neither time nor inclination to 

 think, while we other men moved on the enemy's works, 

 wrath and disgust in our hearts, the smile of dissimula- 

 tion on our lips. 



If to think one thing and say another is to lie, how 

 we did lie ! I believe Machiavelli himself would have 

 applauded our duplicity. We carefully avoided the 

 school business that evening. Given time, and the wise 

 and wily do not assault the citadel until the outworks 

 are won and a practicable breach is made. Our interest 

 in the business outlook of Golden was marked. If he 

 did not think he might possibly stick us with a mine or 

 two, it certainly was not our fault. His accommodations 

 were so much better than we had expected how did 

 he manage so well in a place so remote, etc. We even 

 drank his rum and made him drink with us, both of 

 which I still think showed the devotion of the hero to 

 our cause. By bedtime we were in a position to report 

 encouraging progress. 



The next day we resumed operations along the same 

 line of approach, each assuming the same role. Indeed, 



