d
fire you for failing to do your duty, but they couldn't prove any fraud
against you. But when this de Laney came along it changed things."

"How is that?"

"Well, you told him the assessment work had been done, in so many
words, didn't you? The Company can prove that you were using your
official information to deceive him for the purposes of fraud. In other
words, you were an officer of the Company, and you deceived another
officer in your official capacity. I don't know but you'd be liable to
a criminal action."

"Not on your tin-type," said Old Mizzou with confidence.

"Have you looked it up?"

"I does better than that. At that point I shore becomes subtle. _I
resigns from th' Company!_ A'ter that I talks assessment work. I tells
him advice, jest as a friend. If he believes th' same, an' it ain't so,
why thet's unfort'nit, but they can't do anythin' t' me. I'm jest an
outsider. He is responsible to th' Company, an' if he wants
information, he ought to go to th' books, and not to frien's who may
deceive him."

"Davidson, you're a genius!" exclaimed the stranger heartily.

"I tells you I becomes subtle," acknowledged the old man with just
pride. "But now you sees it ain't delikit that my name appears in th'
case a tall. Folks is so suspicious these yere days, that if I has a
share, and Arthur yere has a share, they says p'rhaps we has this yere
scheme in view right along. But if Slayton gets them lapsed claims by
hisself, Slayton bein' a stranger, they thinks how fortinit that
Slayton is t' git onto it, and they puts pore Ole Mizzou down as
becomin' fergitful in his old age."

The stranger laughed.

"It's easy," he remarked. "We get them for nothing, and you can bet
your sweet life I'll push 'em through for all there is in it. Why,
boys, you're rich! You won't have anything more to do the rest of your
mortal days, unless you want to."

"I ain't seekin' no manual employment," observed Mizzou.

"I'm willin' to quit work," agreed Arthur.

"Well, you'll have a chance. Now we better hustle this thing through
lively. We've got to make our discoveries on the quiet so no one will
get on to us."

"It ain't goin' t' take us long t' tack up them notices, now 't we've
agreed. We kin do th' most on it this evenin'. Jest lay low, that's
all."

"Ain't de Laney going to get onto us sasshaying off with a lot of
notices?"

"If he does," remarked Old Mizzou grimly, "I knows a dark hole whar we
retires that young ma