u go out send him in."

Amri opened the door that Lafe closed behind him.

"All fixed," said Scattergood. "I want to see these boys to-night."
Scattergood handed Amri a list of names. "And say, Amri, here's a leetle
bill you might jest slip along quick. Don't amount to nothin', but it
might help me some. Like to git the Governor's signature to it as soon
as it kin be done."

Amri read it cautiously. It was just a harmless little measure having to
do with stage lines. "All right," he said, carelessly.

Crane was in President Castle's office, and his demeanor was that of a
man who has heard disquieting news.

"I told you," he said, in tones of reproach, "that he wasn't safe to
monkey with. Keith and I thought he was just a fat, backwoods rube, but
we got burnt, and burnt good. We were going to let him alone, but you
got us into this--and now you've got to get us out again. Know what he's
done? Nothing much but start condemnation proceedings against us to take
our mill yards down on the railroad for a site for a depot and freight
sheds. That's all. And us with close to a hundred thousand tied up in
that mill. If he puts it through ..."

"He won't," snapped Castle.

"He's started to build his railroad. Actually laying rails."

"So I heard. That's to hold his charter.... Don't you worry. He can't
build that road, and you men will. As soon as I found out he had that
charter, and saw the possibilities of that valley, I made up my mind he
had to be eliminated. And he will be."

"Keith and I tried that."

"I saw him," said Castle. "He's no fool. You thought he was. I'm not
making any such mistake. Going after you the way he has proves it."

"And he'll be going after you, too. You want to mind your eye."

"It's a little different tackling the G. and B., don't you think? And I
doubt if he figures we're really backing you."

"What he figures and what you think he figures are mighty wide apart
sometimes. It cost me money to find that out."

The telephone interrupted. Castle answered: "Yes, Hammond, I can see you
now. What is it?... All right. Come right up." Hammond was the
railroad's general counsel.

He appeared presently.

"I thought we had the legislature up yonder tamed," he said, angrily, as
he entered the office.

"We have."

"Huh!... Take a look at this." He handed to the president Scattergood's
novel taxation, measure. "What you make of that? Who's behind it? What's
the game?"

Castle read it carefu