said aloud,
had Dumont been well: "I'm precious glad I ain't the creature those
fangs are reaching for!" He was about to caution him against exciting
himself when Dumont sank back with a cynical smile at his own outburst.

"But to get down to business," he went on. "I've eleven millions of
the stock left--about a hundred and twenty thousand shares. Gladys has
fifty thousand shares--how much have you got?"

"Less than ten thousand. And I'd have had none at all if my mind
hadn't been full of other things as I was sailing. I forgot to tell my
broker to sell."

Dumont was reflecting. Presently he said: "Those curs not only took
most of my stock and forced the sale of most of my other securities;
they've put me in such a light that outside stockholders wouldn't send
me their proxies now. To get back control I must smash them, and I
must also acquire pretty nearly half the shares, and hold them till I'm
firm in the saddle again."

"You'd better devote yourself for the present to escaping the grave.
Why bother about business? You've got enough--too much, as it is.
Take a holiday--go away and amuse yourself."

Dumont smiled. "That's what I'm going to do, what I'm doing--amusing
myself. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't live, if I didn't feel that I was
on my way back to power. Now--in the present market I couldn't borrow
on my Woolens stock. I've two requests to make of you."

"Anything that's possible."

"The first is, I want you to lend me four millions, or, rather,
negotiate the loan for me, as if it were for yourself. I've got about
that amount in Governments, in several good railways and in the
property here. The place at Saint X is Pauline's, but the things I can
put up would bring four millions and a half at least at forced sale.
So, you'll be well secured. I'm asking you to do it instead of doing
it myself because, if I'm to win out, the Herron crowd must think I'm
done for and nearly dead."

Langdon was silent several minutes. At last he said: "What's your
plan?"

Dumont looked irritated--he did not like to be questioned, to take any
one into his confidence. But he restrained his temper and said: "I'm
going to make a counter-raid. I know where to strike."

"Are you sure?"

Dumont frowned. "Don't disturb yourself," he said coldly. "I can
arrange the loan in another way."

"I'm asking you only for your own sake, Jack," Langdon hastily
interposed. "Of course you can have the money, a