"They won't know till too late.I bought through a dummy.It seemed a pity not to let then have the property since they wanted it so badly, so this morning he sold out for me to the Consolidated at a profit of a hundred and fifty thousand."Eaton grinned appreciatively.It was in startling finesse of this sort his chief excelled, and Stephen was always ready with applause.
"I notice that Hobart slipped out of town last night.That is where he must have been going.He'll be sick when he learns how you did him."Ridgway permitted himself an answering smile."I suppose it will irritate him a trifle, but that can't be helped.I needed that money to get clear on that last payment for the Sherman Bell.""Yes, I was worried about that.Notes have been piling up against us that must be met.There's the Ransom note, too.It's for a hundred thousand.""He'll extend it," said the chief confidently.
"He told me he would have to have his money when it came due.I've noticed he has been pretty close to Mott lately.I expect he has an arrangement with the Consolidated to push us.""I'm watching him, Steve.Don't worry about that.He did arrange to sell the note to Mott, but I stopped that little game.""How?"
"For a year I've had all the evidence of that big government timber steal of his in a safety-deposit vault.Before he sold, I had a few words with him.He changed his mind and decided he preferred to hold the notes.More, he is willing to let us have another hundred thousand if we have to have it."Eaton's delight bubbled out of him in boyish laughter."You're a wonder, Waring.There's nobody like you.Can't any of them touch you-- not Harley himself, by Jove.""We'll have a chance to find that out soon, Steve.""Yes, they say he's coming out in person to run the fight against you.I hope not.""It isn't a matter of hoping any longer.He's here," calmly announced his leader.
"Here! On the ground?" "Yes."
"But--he can't be here without us knowing it." "I'm telling you that I do know it.""Have you seen him yourself?" demanded the treasurer incredulously."Seen him, talked with him, cursed him and cuffed him," announcedRidgway with a reminiscent gleam in his eye.
"Er--what's that you say?" gasped the astounded Eaton."Merely that I have already met Simon Harley.""But you said--"
"--that I had cursed and cuffed him.That's all right.I have."The president of the Mesa Ore-producing Company leaned back with his thumbs in the armholes of his fancy waistcoat and smiled debonairly at his associate's perplexed amazement.
"Did you say--CUFFED him?"
"That's what I meant to say.I roughed him around quite a bit-- manhandled him in general.But all FOR HIS GOOD, you know.""For his good?" Eaton's dazed brain tried to conceive the situation of a billionaire being mauled for his good, and gave it up in despair.If Steve Eaton worshipped anything, it was wealth.He was a born sycophant, and it was partly because his naive unstinted admiration had contributed to satisfy his chief's vanity that the latter had made of him a confidant.Now he sat dumb before the lese-majeste of laying forcible hands upon the richest man in the world.
"But, of course, you're only joking," he finally decided.
"You haven't been back twelve hours.Where COULD you have seen him?,""Nevertheless I have met him and been properly introduced by his wife.""His wife?"
