e other word, Mr. Brewster," Ford begged, as the copper magnate was
pointing for the door of escape. "Please don't let any of these timid
gentlemen sell till we get our bonds floated. You mark my word: the
temptation to make a big killing is going to be very great, within a
week."

The copper king laughed; openly, this time.

"You overrate my influence, Mr. Ford; but I'll do what I can--by word of
mouth and by example. You can count on me--as long as you let me stay on
your side of the market."

Ford had three several invitations to luncheon after the meeting
adjourned, but he accepted none of them. To Adair he made the
declination courteous while they were trundling back to the Waldorf in
the big touring car.

"I have lost an entire day because I could not take the time to secure a
stenographer before leaving Chicago night before last. I must find one
now and go to work."

"All right; if you must. But I was hoping I could take you out to
Overlook to dinner this evening. Can't you come anyhow, and take a later
train west?"

"Don't tempt me," said Ford. And then: "The ladies are quite well, I
hope?"

"Oh, yes; they are in town to-day, and we are all going to luncheon
together--though I shan't know just where until I go to the club.
Failing the dinner, won't you make a knife and fork with us at one
o'clock?"

"I should like to--more than anything else in the world," Ford
protested, meaning it. "But you'll make my excuses to Mrs. Adair, won't
you? We've simply got to get a three-cornered hustle on now, if we want
to save the day in the West."

"Why? Is there anything new in that quarter?"

"There is: something that I didn't dare to mention back yonder in the
board meeting. You may remember that I told you I had left a man in my
place on the Plug Mountain--Frisbie? I had a wire from him, night before
last, just as I was leaving Chicago. As you know, the Pacific
Southwestern inherits, from the old narrow-gauge purchase, the
right-of-way over Plug Pass and down the valley of the Pannikin. Frisbie
wires that the Transcontinental people have begun massing building
material at the terminus of their Saguache branch, only twenty miles
from the Pass."

"And that means?--I'm lame on geography."

"It means that they'll cut in ahead of us, if they can. Plug Pass is the
only available unoccupied outlet through the mountains for thirty or
forty miles north or south; and if we don't get our building force on
the ground