第130章

`Certainly not; that would give the show away at once.There are, as you know - several members of the Band who are not shareholders in the company; we'll get some of them to do most of the talking.We, being the directors of the company, must pretend to be against selling, and stick out for our own price; and when we do finally consent we must make out that we are sacrificing our private interests for the good of the Town.We'll get a committee appointed - we'll have an expert engineer down from London - I know a man that will suit our purpose admirably - we'll pay him a trifle and he'll say whatever we tell him to - and we'll rush the whole business through before you can say "Jack Robinson", and before the rate-payers have time to realize what's being done.Not that we need worry ourselves much about them.

Most of them take no interest in public affairs, but even if there is something said, it won't matter much to us once we've got the money.

It'll be a nine days' wonder and then we'll hear no more of it.'

As the Chief ceased speaking, the other brigands also remained silent, speechless with admiration of his cleverness.

`Well, what do you think of it?' he asked.

`Think of it!' cried Grinder, enthusiastically.`I think it's splendid! Nothing could be better.If we can honly git away with it, I reckon it'll be one of the smartest thing we've ever done.'

`Smart ain't the word for it,' observed Rushton.

`There's no doubt it's a grand idear!' exclaimed Didlum, `and I've just thought of something else that might be done to help it along.

We could arrange to 'ave a lot of letters sent "To the Editor of the Obscurer" and "To the Editor of the Ananias," and "To the Editor of the Weekly Chloroform" in favour of the scheme.'

`Yes, that's a very good idea,' said Grinder.`For that matter the editors could write them to themselves and sign them "Progress", "Ratepayer", "Advance Mugsborough", and sich-like.'

`Yes, that's all right,' said the Chief, thoughtfully, `but we must be careful not to overdo it; of course there will have to be a certain amount of publicity, but we don't want to create too much interest in it.'

`Come to think of it,' observed Rushton arrogantly, `why should we trouble ourselves about the opinion of the ratepayers at all? Why should we trouble to fake the books, or declare a dividend or 'ave the harticles in the papers or anything else? We've got the game in our own 'ands; we've got a majority in the Council, and, as Mr Sweater ses, very few people even take the trouble to read the reports of the meetings.'

`Yes, that's right enough,' said Grinder.`But it's just them few wot would make a lot of trouble and talk; THEY'RE the very people we 'as to think about.If we can only manage to put THEM in a fog we'll be all right, and the way to do it is as Mr Sweater proposes.'

`Yes, I think so,' said the Chief.`We must be very careful.I can work it all right in the Ananias and the Chloroform, and of course you'll see that the Obscurer backs us up.'

`I'll take care of that,' said Grinder, grimly.

The three local papers were run by limited companies.Sweater held nearly all the shares of the Ananias and of the Weekly Chloroform, and controlled their policy and contents.Grinder occupied the same position with regard to the Obscurer.The editors were a sort of marionettes who danced as Sweater and Grinder pulled the strings.

`I wonder how Dr Weakling will take it?' remarked Rushton.