H. Bedford-Jones

“ His eyes twinkled, as if at some secret jest. "But they tell me," persisted the drummer, "that ruby silver's got too much arsenic in it to make development and smelting pay. Besides it comes in small veins—"
"It has not too much arsenic to make smelting pay—sometimes! It does not come in small veins—sometimes! Look at the Yellow Jack, the richest mine over at Tonopah! They busted into ruby silver; last week a bunch of mining sharks come and look over the outcrop. They wire east, and their principals pay a cool million and a half cash for the property. ”

“ If I’m not mistaken, it was my agent who bought that mine of yours! Am I right?”
Bowen’s gray eyes hardened for a moment, and then they twinkled again and his lean hand shot forth.
“Well, well!” he exclaimed heartily. “Talk about unadulterated coincidence! And you’re actually Dickover; the Dickover? You’re the man who owns half the copper mines in Arizona and two-thirds of Tonopah?”
“Uhuh. Glad to meet you, Bowen. Going to Frisco, are you?”
The drummer looked from one to the other, agape. And small wonder! The name of Dickover was known wherever ores were smelted or mining stocks sold. ”

“ Picking up low-grade silver properties, are you? I don’t suppose that by any stretch of friendship you’d tell me why you’re picking them up?”
Henderson’s face went livid with anger.
“So you cut in ahead of me!” he rasped. “You got that little fool of a girl to hand over the stock—”
“Just one minute, Henderson!” Bowen lifted his hand. “I’ve got a terrible temper. It doesn’t work very hard, not every day; but to hear names and epithets applied to honest women is something that sets it on a hair-trigger. Now, if I were you, Henderson, I’d just speak names and leave out the adjectives. ”

“ Bowen! Here's my card. Going to the Palace?"
Before the lean man could respond, the fat man leaned forward in his chair. He stared intently at Bowen, then spoke.
" Do I understand, sir," he squeaked, that you are Robert Bowen, and that you have sold the Yellow Jack mine?"
"You do," said Bowen, eying him.
"Upon my word! " The ejaculation was one of surprise and was followed by a chuckle. "My name is Dickover—of New York, Mr. Bowen. If I'm not mistaken, it was my agent who bought that mine of yours! Am I right?" ”

“ Cheadle’s whistle of admiration changed and died suddenly. “But say! Ain’t that stock juggling illegal? Ain’t the gov’ment going to investigate?”
“Let ’em!” Henderson laughed scornfully. “If they can ever prove anything on Dickover or me, either, let ’em! Think we are fools? With that hundred thousand, and the low-grade properties I’ve already got, I’ll be fixed for life when news of that chemical process gets into print! ”

“ Dickover abandoned the subject, after an apoplectic choke.
“Tell you what, Bowen; that tip of yours sent me up to Tonopah in a hurry. I looked up Henderson and fired him—fired him good and hard. The confounded crook! Now I need another man to take his place. A man I can trust, and a man who can be trusted. Ten thousand a year if the man makes good.”
“Too bad you didn’t look around at Tonopah,” said Bowen innocently. “I know heaps of good men up that way. You should have gone to Judge Lyman or Tom Jerkens or some of those men and had ’em pick you out a nice responsible party for that job. ”

“ Their eyes exchanged the same message of comprehension, of surmise.
"You think," said the girl suddenly, "that Dickover is taking control of Apex Crown?"
Bowen was silent for so long that the silence became painful.
"No," he returned at last. "No. I don't think he is. My cool judgment says he is not. But what's judgment anyhow? You hang on to that stock, Miss Ferguson!"
She flushed a little, but her eyes dwelt on his. "I—I need the money it would bring at twenty cents," she faltered. "And yet—look here, Mr. Bowen! ”

“ The girl laughed, then instantly grew grave. “Dickover knows that Henderson is a traitor and has been buying Apex Crown; yet Dickover is ready to buy our stock, make the Apex Crown a great success and enrich Henderson! Why?”
“I’ve doped it out; I struck the same snag myself—and others, too. Like this! If Dickover gets our block of stock, he controls that mine. He can let it lie useless for years, until Henderson has given up hope and sold out the stock he’s been buying. And until that happens, Dickover lets the mine lie dead for five years or fifty! Savvy?” ”

“ Every share we get is going to count for control of the mine, Mr. Bowen. If we can get some to-day, each of our friends will think the other man is buying it."
"Good," assented Bowen crisply. "Now, Gus, will you handle it for us? You have plenty of agents, and can pull the strings at the right moment without trouble."
The broker chuckled. "This is the first time I ever manipulated curb stocks, Bob! But we'll tackle it. You don't want to buy two-cent stocks on a margin, I suppose?"
Bowen emitted a sarcastic grunt, and drew forth his cash and checks. ”

“ Miss Ferguson! Honest. I'm a business man. Now, suppose you sit down and let me dictate a letter to Judge Lyman. I don't mean to send it, but I mean your broker friend to hear me dictating. When he comes in, nod and smile and tell him to wait."
The girl sat down before her machine and slipped a sheet of paper into the roll.
"All ready?" asked Bowen. "Then shoot!
My dear Judge:
"I'm here in the big town and having the time of my life. Them are the exact words. I yesterday met your erstwhile stenographer, Miss Ferguson, who has an office of her own and deserves it. ”

“ Have it done at exactly two o'clock.
"Dickover will get the wires hot in five minutes, and you can arrange for him to discover the truth at Tonopah, Wire somebody there that the mine's busted and you are in Frisco."
"What's the matter with your own men doing all this?" growled Cheadle suspiciously.
"I'm doing the operating; I'll be the first man under investigation. Can't afford to take the risk, even to put a hole in Dickover's bank-account, blast him! But you can do it. Put on those glasses and that line of talk you can assume, and you'll get by. Don't you know any one you can trust?" ”

“ Bowen, I'm bucking the Dickover interests in a certain direction. If you'll give me an option—"
"Nothing doing!" snapped Bowen with finality. "Dickover is talking cold cash. Of course my ore is nothing wonderful—"
Henderson produced a check-book. "I'll give you a check for five thousand to cover both claims," he said quickly. "Not a cent more. Yes or no?"
"Now, I like your way of doing business!" said Bowen cordially. "That's what I call a man's way. Five thousand wins. Got any legal forms around, Miss Ferguson? Are you a notary?" ”

“ I propose that you and I step in at the psychological moment, when Dickover has scared Henderson into unloading; that we make a bold strike and gobble about three hundred thousand shares of that stock at the lowest figure. In short, that we grab the Apex Crown for ourselves! Are you game? ”

“ Two months previously, Dickover had received private information that a chemical process for treating zinc-silver ore economically was being perfected. He had at once sent Henderson on a private trip to pick up low-grade silver properties and form a gigantic combination; for as soon as news of the chemical process reached the market, low-grade silver would soar. Henderson had found from Cheadle that the Apex Crown was petering out. The vein had been worked to death, and there was no promise of picking up anything beyond. ”

“ Here a great deal of Apex Crown had been unloaded in past years, and yesterday had wakened the moribund stock. Here the price had closed at five and a half. Twelve thousand shares had been quietly picked up at two and three cents before the market had discovered the activity.
“Somebody’s got agents at work, all right,” said Bowen grimly. “And they offered the little girl as high as twenty! Wonder if Apex Crown broke into ruby ore? No, that’s not likely over on those holdings. Something’s going on secretly.” ”

“ Bowen had frequently met him at Tonopah.
“Miss Ferguson, allow me to introduce Mr. Saunders. Miss Ferguson is my partner at present, Gus, in a deal we’ve got on hand; looks like a big one, and we need your help.”
“That’s my business,” and the broker smiled.
“There’s a curb stock by the name of—”
“Hold on!” Saunders flung up his hands. “Don’t talk curb stock to me. Don’t touch the stuff, and you ought to know it!”
“Shut up till I get through!” snapped Bowen, and grinned. “You’re refusing no good business that comes along; and I’m paying you any commission on this job that you care to name. ”

“ Saunders clapped him on the shoulders happily. "Not a bit of it. I'm a cold-blooded business man, and I don't give a whoop about bracing you up! As a matter of fact, I did not get control of the stock after all. Henderson's holdings never did come on the market, you know, except in part. So when I saw how things were going, I let Miss Ferguson boss the job. And it's blamed lucky I did!"
"Great Jehu!" said Bowen slowly. "Then—then we're not broke after all—"
"Not by two hundred thousand or so! Which, I judge, our friend Dickover pays—"
Bowen came to his feet, a trifle unsteadily. ”

“ Mr. Cheadle was apologetic. The samples and assayer's report were all at his own lodgings. He had not ventured to think that Mr. Bowen—er—would be interested offhand, and—
"Well, let's go have a look," said Bowen, rising. The humility of Mr. Cheadle was slightly annoying. "Where are you stopping? Oh, don't protest, man; I'm free for the day."
It appeared that Mr. Cheadle was stopping at a rooming-house just off Sutter Street. Together the two men descended to the street, where the magnate hailed a taxicab. Bob Bowen, of Tonopah, believed in enjoying affluence while he had it. ”

“ Henderson laughed silkily. “The day before Dickover came to town, I went to this Ferguson girl, made her a big offer for her stock, and then made her mad with some bullying. I figured she’d go to Dickover or some of his brokers for advice. Instead, she went to this boob, Bowen. You see? Bowen did the rest. He tipped off Dickover that I was crooked; Dickover fired me, hating me like hell! Now, Apex Crown was at nine and a half this morning—hello! There’s a report.”
The telephone rang.
“Sell?” rasped Henderson, a fighting edge to his voice. “Sell? You sell when I tell you to, and not before! No! ”

“ CHAPTER I. MINING STOCK. THE fat man squeezed himself into the chair of the smoking-room, eyed the lean man and the drummer who had stretched out on the cushioned seat, wiped his beaded brow, and sighed.
"This central California," he observed squeakily, "is the hottest place this side of Topheth! Thank Heaven, we get into Frisco to-night."
The drummer from San Francisco resented the diminutive and gave him a casual stare. The lean man said nothing. Then the drummer turned to the lean man and picked up a thread of conversation which had apparently been broken by the fat man's entrance. ”

“ Trying to force a bigger price for that stock out of me?"
"Nope," returned Bowen cheerfully. "But it isn't nice for a big man like you to come in here and try to threaten and browbeat a girl into giving away all she's got in the world. It's going to get you badly beaten up one of these days. However, now that you're dealing with me you might prove reasonable. How much will you give for that Apex Crown?"
"Thirty," growled Henderson.
"Buyin' for Dickover or yourself?" asked Bowen softly.
The agent uttered a lurid curse. Bowen rose and kicked away his chair, and opened the door. ”

“ If he could grab enough of Henderson’s stock and Dickover’s stock combined, at the moment both men had unloaded; if he could step in ahead of Dickover and at the proper moment get control—
“I’ve got to stop thinking about this thing,” he muttered fiercely. “It’s got my brain turning handsprings. There’s nothing for me to do, anyhow! Everything is in the hands of Gus Saunders now. I need a bracer, and I’m going to get it. Then I’ll buy some magazines and loaf a while.”
Bowen was the type of man who takes a drink only when he really needs it, and does not need it often. ”

“ Bowen smiled grimly. “Quite logical. Henderson will find that he gave me five thousand of his cash when he’s going to need it all. Before the market is quite smashed down to its original state, he’s going to loosen up on a big bunch of his stock. He’ll argue that at the right moment. When Dickover begins to buy in again, he, too, can step forward and get back his own—with some of Dickover’s to boot; enough to give him control.” ”

“ He thinks that I want Apex Crown because I know about that chemical process. And what does he do? He—"
Cheadle broke in with a coarse laugh. "Then he still thinks the ol' mine is worth hanging on to?"
"Of course. You and I are the only men who know it isn't worth a damn. Dickover hates me now, hates me bad enough to ruin himself to get my pelt. He's trying to smash Apex Crown as flat as a pancake, and he'll do it before noon to-day! He figures that I'll get scared. ”

“ A low-grade ore that cost eight dollars a ton to produce a few months ago and gave back eight dollars, was no good. Now, however, it gives back eight dollars’ profit and is a paying proposition. Those claims I sold you are that kind.
“Some day, and I guess it isn’t very far off, folks are going to discover a chemical process that will take a zinc-silver ore and separate the zinc and the silver. An ore of that kind to-day, isn’t worth a tinker’s dam. If that chemical process is discovered, it will be worth millions. ”