swinging his arms. "I got to
get something, haven't I? Isn't this property mine? Can't I sell it?"

"Apparently not, under the terms of your agreement with Puma,"
replied Jim, wearily. "However, I'm willing to hear what Mr. Pawling
has to say."

"You mean to tell me, Puma fixed it so I'm stuck with all his debts?
You mean to say my own personal property is subject to seizure to
satisfy----"

"I certainly do mean just that, Mr. Skidder. But I'm not a lawyer----"

"I tell you I want to get something for myself before I let loose any
lawyers on the premises! I'll make it all right with you----"

"It's out of the question. We wouldn't touch the property----"

"I'll take a quarter of its value in spot cash! I'll give you ten
thousand to put it through to-day!"

"Why can't you understand that what you suggest would amount to
collusion?"

"What I propose is to get a slice of what's mine!" yelled Skidder,
fairly dancing with fury. "D'yeh think I'm going to let that crooked
wop, Puma, do this to me just like that! D'yeh think he's going to get
away with all my money and all Pawling's money and leave me planted on
my neck while about a million other guys come and sell me out and fill
their pants pockets with what's mine?"

Jim said: "If Mr. Pawling is the very rich man you say he is, he's not
going to let the defalcation of this fellow, Puma, destroy such a
paying property."

"Damn it, I don't want him to buy it in for himself and freeze me out!
I can't stop him, either; Puma's got all my money except what's in
this parcel. And you betcha life I hang onto this, creditors or no
creditors, and Pawling to the contrary! He knows damn well it belongs
to me. Try him again at the Rajah----"

"They're paging him. I left the number. But I tell you the proper
thing for you to do is to go to a lawyer, and then to the police,"
repeated Jim. "There's nothing else to do. This fellow, Puma, may have
run for the Mexican border, or he may still be in the United States.
Without a passport he couldn't very easily get on any trans-Atlantic
boat or any South American boat either. The proper procedure is to
notify the police----"

"Nix on the police!" shouted Skidder. "That'll start the land-slide,
and the whole shooting-match will go. I want _this_ property. If the
papers show it's subject to the firm's liabilities, then that dirty
skunk altered the thing. It's forgery.

"I never was fool enough to lump this parcel in with our assets