ary. You've cleared the air
and made it possible for an old-fashioned banker to breathe in New
York. It's a pleasure to shake hands with you."

The king passed on into the crowd, the focus of a hundred admiring
eyes. Bivens could scarcely believe his ears when he listened with open
mouth while his majesty spoke to Stuart.

"Great Scott, Jim!" he gasped at last. "That's the longest speech I
ever heard him make. I knew you had scored the biggest hit any lawyer
has made in this town in a generation, but I never dreamed you'd
capture the king's imagination. I'm beginning to think my offer wasn't
so generous after all. Look here, you've got to promise me one thing
right now. When you do go in to make your pile it shall be with me and
no other man."

Nan passed and threw him a gracious smile.

"It will be with you, if I go, Cal, I promise."

"Well, it's settled, then. Your word's as good as a Government bond.
His majesty is in a gracious mood to-night. Watch him unbend and chat
with the boys."

"At least, Cal," Stuart broke in, jokingly, "there's one exception to
your indictment of all great fortunes."

"That's the funniest thing of all," Bivens whispered. "He's not an
exception. Understand, I'm loyal to the king. He's a wonder. I like
him, I like his big head, his big shaggy eyebrows, his big hands and
big feet. I like to hear him growl and snap his answer--'Yes',
'No'--that means life or death to men who kneel at his feet. He's a
dead game sport. But he, too, has his little blots in his early
copy-books at school if you care to turn the pages."

"No!" Stuart interrupted, incredulously.

Bivens glanced about to make sure he could not be overheard and
continued in low tones.

"Yes, sir, he turned the slickest trick on Uncle Sam of all the bunch.
He was a youngster and it was his first deal. When the Civil War broke
out the Government had no guns for the volunteers. He learned that
there were 5,000 old Hall carbines stored away among the junk in one of
the national arsenals in New York. He bought these guns (on a credit)
for a song--about $3 apiece--and shipped them to General Fremont, who
was in St. Louis howling for arms. Fremont agreed to pay $22.50 each
for the new rifles and closed the deal at once by drawing on the
Government for enough to enable the young buccaneer to pay his
$3-contract price to Uncle Sam in New York and lay aside a snug sum for
a rainy day besides.

"When Fremont found that the guns wer