“Known to Pharaoh and the modern Children of Israel as the Prophet Elias, Frank,” explained the notary.  “I have heartily indorsed his good work.  Furthermore, he knows well how to keep a secret and how to train others to keep one.  Tasper Britt went to bed this night without one inkling of what was about to happen.  He did not know that he was to be left here without men to toil and pay him his twelve per cent.  He has town debts.  He has the bare acres he has foreclosed on—­he has the tumble-down houses.  He has the paupers on the poor farm.  He—­”

“Hold on, Squire!  I forgot about those paupers,” broke in the colonel.  “I want a town that’s fully rounded out.  A few paupers belong in a town so that they may serve to remind others folks that they must keep busy and avoid the poor farm.  And even the paupers will wake up and go to work in my town!  Work will be in the air.  I’m going to send a wagon after those paupers.  Britt is no sort of a man to be allowed pets; he’ll let ’em starve.”

“Undoubtedly,” agreed the Squire.  “I’ll say, further, Frank, that when the Prophet started off last evening, blowing his trump to sound the signal for the migration, Britt stood and saw him go—­and never guessed what it meant.”

“I heard that horn—­I wondered.”

“He’s a good blower,” stated Colonel Wincott.  “He blew all the props out from under the man Britt.  Solidly grounded on texts, Elias is!  Vaniman, a brand-new scheme needs a resourceful operator.”  He patted the top of his head.  “Pardon me for flattering myself.  I invented the system and the Prophet played it.”

Then Colonel Wincott leaned back, stuck his thumbs into the armholes of his vest, and rocked on the hind legs of the chair.  “I played a hunch,” he went on.  “I was going through Scollay Square in Boston one evening and I heard a street evangelist holding forth.  He was preaching on the subject, ‘Bondage.’  Sin he called Pharaoh.  And he was hammering the hearers with texts from Exodus.  The idea hit me.  I hung up beside the curb till he was through preaching, then I invited him to take a ride with me in my car.  And a wise old bird I found him to be!  No hypocrite!  Doing his best to help his fellow-men, but always hep!  Never out of a city till I pulled him up here.  Likes the country now.  Going to be the regular preacher in my new town.  No more robe-and-umbrella business, of course.  That was my idea.  I’m inclined to be a little circusy in my notions.  He stood for it.  The scheme helped him to put over what he couldn’t have got away with by ordinary means.”

Vaniman remembered those flashes of worldly wisdom in the Prophet, and was enlightened.  His countenance revealed his thoughts.

“Had you guessing?” demanded the colonel.  “Nothing like starting folks to guessing.  Keeps up the interest.  One by one Elias snipped the cords that bound the folks to the soil of this place.  Did a fine job.  They’re going to thrive after they are transplanted.  Even Squire Hexter is going to bring up the rear guard, after he has finished here with the loose ends of the law needed in the case.”