serve a semblance of freedom; but let the boldest of these
turn restive--he is maimed or garroted with sickening promptitude.

CHAPTER XXXII

PERFECTING THE DOUBLE CROSS

To get back to my story. I realized that though one disaster had been
averted, I was far from any haven of rest. Remembering my cue, however,
I asked innocently:

"Have you all decided to sell more of the stock, Mr. Rogers?"

"All? Why no," he said. "Just let me show you where we stand now. All
the unsold stock, roughly forty-eight millions, has been divided up and
each man has to carry his own. That's easy, because Stillman will carry
them all at the bank, for they are all good, Lewisohn, Morgan, Olcott,
Flower, Daly, and the others. The only loose stock will be Mr.
Rockefeller's, yours, and mine, and that we must turn into money before
we can bring out the second section. You have been losing sight of the
fact, Lawson, that we have millions upon millions tied up here, and Mr.
Rockefeller has decided he will not go ahead until we have turned this
venture into money."

Marvellous, marvellous man! He unrolled the new scheme as openly and as
freely as though he were a world's philanthropist explaining a new
benefaction and I an enthusiastic minister employed to carry the glad
tidings to the people. The plot was obvious. In spite of Flower and
Stillman and all the talk of our taking a rest he was back on his black
courser again, in a new saddle, with a freshly lighted lantern, and the
old blackjack newly leaded. And I was the only one who could stalk the
game. I listened.

"Now let me show you, Lawson, what a pretty campaign I have laid out,"
he went on. "I've pledged all the others to hold their stock and I've
got it rigged in such a way they can't let go a share without my knowing
of it. Then I've got them all enthusiastic and have formed a pool at
Flower's office which, if necessary, can buy 500,000 shares, and what
with the money they have made and the promise that they will be let in
on the second section if they're good, we ought to have things pretty
much our own way."

The scheme seemed to be perfect for robbing every one in sight, and here
was I being taken right in--I who had but one thought: to get those I
had mired on to firm soil and myself outside the breastworks of this
pirate stronghold.

"It looks perfect, Mr. Rogers," I said. "Now where do I come in on all
this?"

He shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "You see as we