A TRAP.

Sedgwick found waiting for him advices from the mine, all of which were
favorable and the output for another month, less the expenses of mining
and milling, which amounted in the aggregate to something over $90,000,
had been forwarded to the Bank of France.

The Wedge of Gold Mining Company was reorganized. Browning was made
president; Sedgwick, treasurer; McGregor, secretary; and all three, with
Jordan, directors. A regular dividend of two shillings per share, and a
special dividend of as much more was declared, aggregating in all
L30,000. This was given to the _Times_ for publication, and attached
to it was the following note:

"The reporter of the _Times_ was able to obtain the following particulars
of this wonderful property from the secretary:

"'A forty-stamp mill has been in operation on the property since June
last. The mill yielded in June, above expenses, L17,000 and 15 shillings;
in July, L18,000 and 5 shillings. The ore already developed above the
tunnel level is sufficient to insure the running of the present works to
their full capacity for five years to come. The ore on the tunnel level
is equal to any in the mine, and the ore chute has been demonstrated by
exploration on the tunnel level to be at least 630 feet in length, with
an average width of 16 feet. The tunnel cuts the mine at a depth of 500
feet. The office of the company in London is No. ----, ---- Street. The
officers are John Browning, president; James Sedgwick, treasurer; Hugh
McGregor, secretary; and these, with Thomas Jordan, make up the directory
of the company.'"

When, next morning, Jenvie, Hamlin and Stetson read the above in the
_Times_, they were filled with consternation.

"I feared that man Sedgwick from the first," said Jenvie. "Our first
account of him, that 'he must be a prize-fighter,' was true. He has
knocked us out, and he has made no more noise about it than does a
bull-dog when he takes a pig by the ear."

"What are we to do?" asked Hamlin.

"We must take in enough stock to cover our shortage at once," said
Jenvie, "even if we have to pay L1 per share for it."

So a messenger was sent to the office of the broker through which the
stock had been shorted, to buy at any price up to L1.

He returned with the information that the stock could be had, but the
price was L6 per share.

Then the three men realized for the first time the trap which had been
set for them, and how fatal had been its spring. The me