ontinued: "I am
so sure that I can adjust the claim satisfactorily that if you desire I
will give you my own personal check for the amount right away. Then you
can forget the entire matter. Mr. Gregory is a personal friend of mine
and though, as I say, his affairs are somewhat involved, I know that he
will attend to the matter at once if approached in the right way."

Booker hesitated.

"I'd better call on Mr. Gregory first," he said.

"That will be a hard matter," Rock interrupted. "Unless you care to go
to the expense of making a trip to Diablo Island. Mr. Gregory left
yesterday for a protracted stay in the deep-sea fishing grounds."

Booker considered. His firm was very desirous of having him return with
the cash which was sore needed at the present time. Collecting the claim
would be quite a feather in his cap. Rock's statements concerning the
Fish Cannery, he noticed, were somewhat contradictory. But that was up
to Rock. An account like this, the chances were, would not be worth much
anyway. He could explain the whole matter to Dunham when he got back.

"All right, Mr. Rock," he said at length. "If you want to buy the claim
outright, you can have it. I won't assign."

Rock reached for his check-book. A few moments later saw the deal
closed. When Booker had left, Rock turned to the telephone. When he was
in communication with the local judge, he said:

"I'd like to see you as soon as possible, Tom.--Yes, it's
important.--All right. I'll be right down."

* * * * *

Somewhat in advance of Silvanus Rock's breakfast hour, Mr. Dupont
entered the White Front Restaurant at Port Angeles and made his way
toward his accustomed table in the sunlit alcove. His favorite waitress
pulled out his chair and handed him his morning paper with a smile.

"I have a special for you this morning," she announced, "which will make
your mouth water."

Mr. Dupont smacked his lips with boyish enthusiasm. "What is it?" he
inquired.

"Corn-fed mackerel from the new Service Market which opened yesterday."

Mr. Dupont raised his eyebrows inquiringly, and the girl explained:

"A lot of service men have started a fish stall in a corner of the old
California Market around the block from here. They just put in a few
yesterday but from the way they sold out, I'd say they'd need the whole
building before long. Our manager got around just in time to pick up the
last of yesterday's catch. I saved one of them f