Mr.
Ogilvy was a man possessed of tremendous personal magnetism when he
chose to exert it, and that smile was ever the opening gun of his
magnetic bombardment, for it was a smile that always had the effect
of making the observer desire to behold it again--of disarming
suspicion and establishing confidence.
"Glad you did--mighty glad," the Mayor cried heartily. "We have all,
of course, heard of your great plans and are naturally anxious to
hear more of them, in the hope that we can do all that anybody
reasonably and legally can to promote your enterprise and
incidentally our own, since we are not insensible to the advantages
which will accrue to this county when it is connected by rail with
the outside world."
"That extremely broad view is most encouraging," Buck chirped, and he
showered the Mayor with another smile. "Reciprocity is the watchword
of progress. I might state, however, that while you Humboldters are
fully alive to the benefits to be derived from a feeder to a
transcontinental road, my associates and myself are not insensible of
the fact that the success of our enterprise depends to a great extent
upon the enthusiasm with which the city of Sequoia shall cooperate
with us; and since you are the chief executive of the city, naturally
I have come to you to explain our plans fully.
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