er that when foes surround thee!"

When we joined him, Cornish admitted that he was fairly well
"surrounded." He had failed to secure the aid of Barr-Smith's friends,
who said that, with the street-car system and the cement works, they had
quite eggs enough in the Lattimore basket for their present purposes. In
fact, he had felt out to blind ends nearly all the promising burrows
supposedly leading to the strong boxes of the investing public, of which
he had told us. He accounted for this lack of success on the very
natural theory that the Halliday combination had found out about his
mission, and was fighting him through its influence with the banks and
trust companies. So he had done at last what Jim had advised him to do
at first--secured an appointment with the mighty Mr. Pendleton; and,
somewhat humbled by unsuccess, had telegraphed for us to come on and
help in presenting the thing to that magnate.

Whom, being fenced off by all sorts of guards, messengers, clerks, and
secretaries, we saw after a pilgrimage through a maze of offices. He had
not the usual features which make up an imposing appearance; but command
flowed from him, and authority covered him as with a mantle. We knew
that he possessed and exerted the power to send prosperity in this
channel, or inject adversity into that, as a gardener directs water
through his trenches, and this knowledge impressed us. He was rather
thin; but not so much so as his sharp, high nose, his deep-set eyes, and
his bony chin at first sight seemed to indicate. Whenever he spoke, his
nostrils dilated, and his gray eyes said more than his lips uttered. He
was courteous, with a sort of condensed courtesy--the shorthand of
ceremoniousness. He turned full upon us from his desk as we entered,
rose and met us as his clerk introduced us.

"Mr. Barslow, I'm happy to meet you; and you also, Mr. Cornish. Mr.
Wilson 'phoned about your enterprise just now. Mr. Elkins," as he took
Jim's hand, "I have heard of you also. Be seated, gentlemen. I have
given you a time appropriation of thirty minutes. I hope you will excuse
me for mentioning that at the end of that period my time will be no
longer my own. Kindly explain what it is you desire of me, and why you
think that I can have any interest in your project."

And, with a judgment trained in the valuing of men, he turned to Jim as
our leader.

"If our enterprise doesn't commend itself to your judgment in twenty
minutes," said Jim, with a