Each side seemed to want to impress me with the fact that in signing one or the other of those petitions I had come to the parting of the ways.  They did not say much about what was best for the county, but bore down on the fact that the way I lined up on that great question would make all the difference in the world with me.  Each tried to make me think that I should always be an outsider and a maverick if I didn’t stand with his crowd.

“Why,” said N.V., “I feel sure that it won’t take you long to make up your mind.  This little group of men we have here,” pointing to Henderson L. and Governor Wade, “are the County Ring that’s trying to get this new county in their clutches—­the County Ring!”

This made a little grain of an impression on me; and it was the first time I had ever heard the expression so common in local history “the County Ring.”  I looked at Governor Wade to see what he would say to it.  His face grew redder, and he laughed as if Creede were not worth noticing; but he noticed him for all that.

“Young man,” said he, “or young men, I should say, both of you want to be somebody in this new community.  Monterey Centre represents already, the brains—­”

“Like a dollar sign,” said Dick McGill, “it represents it, but it hasn’t any.”

“—­the brains,” went on Governor Wade, glaring at him, “the culture, the progress and the wealth—­”

“That they hope to steal,” put in Dick McGill.

“—­the wealth,” went on the Governor, who hated to be interrupted, “of this Gem of the Prairies, Monterey County.  Don’t make the mistake, which you can never correct, of taking sides with this little gang of town-site sharks led by my good friend Judge Stone.”

Here was another word which I was to hear pretty often in county politics—­Gang.  One crowd was called a Ring; the other a Gang, I looked at N.V. to see how wrathy he must be, but he only smiled sarcastically, as I have often seen him do in court; and shaking his head at me waved his hand as if putting Governor Wade quite off the map.  Just then my team began acting up—­they had not been unhitched and were thirsty and hungry; and I went over to straighten them out, leaving the Ring and the Gang laboring with Magnus, who was sweating freely—­and then I went over to speak with the elder.

“How do you do, Teunis?” said Virginia very sweetly.  “You’ll sign our petition, won’t you?”

“We don’t want to influence your judgment,” said the elder, “but I wanted to say to you that if the county-seat remains at Monterey Centre, it will be a great thing for the religious work which under God I hope to do.  It will give me a parish.  I should like to urge that upon you.”

“Do you want me to sign it?” I asked him, looking at Virginia.

“Yes,” said he, “if you have no objection.”

“Please do!” said Virginia.  “I know you can’t have any objection.”