Page:The gold brick (1910).djvu/268

 delegation. The convention had risen to its feet, craning red necks, and out of the mass, Grogan cried:

"Aw, here, Malachi Nolan, none o' that now!"

Nolan turned his rugged face toward him and said simply:

"Who's runnin' this dillygation, you or me?"

"Well—none o' your bulldozing—we won't stand it!" replied Grogan angrily, his blue eyes blazing.

"You get to hell out o' this." And so saying, Nolan dropped the ballot into the hat and turned to face the chair.

"Have you all voted?" inquired Muldoon.

"First Ward!" the secretary called.

Nolan squared his shoulders, not having looked in his hat or counted the ballots there, and said slowly and impressively:

"On behalf av the solid dillygation av the First Ward, I cast twinty-wan votes for John W. Underwood."

"Misther Chairman! Misther Chairman!" cried Grogan, waving his hand in the air, "I challenge that vote! I challenge that vote!"

"The gentleman from the Fifth Ward challenges the vote—"