them now. It's not a pleasant situation, but I
can't say how far we may be disposed to let you off it until I've had
a talk with Mr. Weston. After that, I'll send for you."

There was nothing more to be said; and when the two men went out,
Stirling turned to Wannop.

"If you can get a wire through to Mr. Weston, tell him to come back at
once."

"I'll have it done," said Wannop. "He said he had sent an Indian to
wait for letters or messages at the nearest railroad settlement. You
have those men in your clutches. You could break them if you wanted
to."

"Well," laughed Stirling, "on the whole I'm more disposed to make them
hand over a moderate sum, and to let them off after that, on condition
that in the future they keep their hands off the Grenfell
Consolidated."

"You'd take their word?" Wannop asked.

"Yes," said Stirling, with an air of whimsical reflection; "in this
case, anyway, I 'most think I could. They've had about enough of the
Grenfell Consols. I guess they found them prickly."

Then he went out, and Wannop despatched a telegram to Weston, who left
the mine immediately after it reached him. Somewhat to his
astonishment, he, found Stirling awaiting him when he sprang down from
the car platform in the station at Montreal, and the latter smiled
benevolently as he grasped his hand.

"Ida would have come along if I'd let her," he explained. "I felt,
however, I'd better make things clear to you before you saw her. We'll
go straight to Wannop's office and have a little talk."

It did not take Wannop long to explain the situation; and when he
judiciously left Weston and Stirling alone together, the latter smiled
at his companion.

"Well," he said, "as the specimens we have just been handling seem
quite as rich as the last lot, it's evident that your share in the
Grenfell will keep you comfortable, and, as far as I'm concerned,
there's no reason why you and Ida should not set up housekeeping as
soon as you like. Now, it's my intention to hand her a block of the
Grenfell stock as part of her wedding present, on condition that she
takes your advice as to what she does with it. I'd just like to
suggest that you make the people who want that stock subscribe quite
smartly, and then let them off. It's not wise to push a beaten enemy
too far."

Weston, who agreed with this, expressed his thanks and then asked a
question.

"Wannop mentioned one lot of six hundred shares. Where did you get
those?"

"They we