ung company promoter?"

"It's pretty obvious," replied de Vinne, taking the expensive cigar
which Bones had imported into the office for the purpose. "The
position is a good one----"

"Half a mo'," said Bones. "Do you personally guarantee Mr. Sanders's
salary for five years?"

The other laughed.

"Of course not. It is a company matter," he said, "and I should
certainly not offer a personal guarantee for the payment of any salary."

"So that, if the company goes bust in six months' time, Mr. Sanders
loses all the money he has invested and his salary?"

The other raised his shoulders again with a deprecating smile.

"He would, of course, have a claim against the company for his salary,"
he said.

"A fat lot of good that would be!" answered Bones.

"Now, look here, Mr. Tibbetts"--the other leaned confidentially
forward, his unlighted cigar between his teeth--"there is no reason in
the world why the Mazeppa Company shouldn't make a fortune for the
right man. All it wants is new blood and capable direction. I
confess," he admitted, "that I have not the time to give to the
company, otherwise I'd guarantee a seven per cent. dividend on the
share capital. Why, look at the price of them to-day----"

Bones stopped him.

"Any fool can get the shares up to any price he likes, if they're all
held in one hand," he said.

"What?" said the outraged Mr. de Vinne. "Do you suggest I have rigged
the market? Besides, they're not all in one hand. They're pretty
evenly distributed."

"Who holds 'em?" asked Bones curiously.

"Well, I've got a parcel, and Pole Brothers have a parcel."

"Pole Brothers, eh?" said Bones, nodding. "Well, well!"

"Come, now, be reasonable. Don't be suspicious, Mr. Tibbetts," said
the other genially. "Your friend's interests are all right, and the
shareholders' interests are all right. You might do worse than get
control of the company yourself."

Bones nodded.

"I was thinking of that," he said.

"I assure you," said Mr. de Vinne with great earnestness, "that the
possibilities of the Mazeppa Trading Company are unlimited. We have
concessions from the Great River to the north of the French
territory----"

"Not worth the paper they're written on, dear old kidder," said Bones,
shaking his head. "Chiefs' concessions without endorsement from the
Colonial Office are no good, dear old thing."

"But the trading concessions are all right," insisted the other. "You
can't deny that.