udied several
sheets of figures, which confirmed his opinion that a drop in the value
of the stock he owned might be looked for shortly, though he thought
very few people realized this yet. It was time for effective but
cautious action. He must unload as soon as possible.

By and by he rang a bell, and passed across the cigar box when
Singleton came in and sat down opposite him. He was a wiry,
dark-haired man with an intelligent face which had grown rather white
and haggard in the tropics. Just now he felt grateful to his host, who
had made his stay very pleasant and had given him an opportunity for
meeting Sylvia.

"I suppose you have read my report on your new tropical property?" he
said.

"Yes," answered Herbert, picking up a lengthy document. "I've given it
some thought. On the whole, it isn't optimistic."

Singleton pondered this. He had learned a little about company
floating, and was willing to oblige his host as far as he honestly
could. Lansing had enabled him to undertake a search for some rare
examples of tropical flora by paying him a handsome fee for the report.

"Well," he said, "there is some good rubber in your territory, as I
have stated."

"But not readily accessible?"

"I'm afraid I can't say it is."

Herbert smiled at him.

"I'm not suggesting such a course. In asking a man of your character
and attainments to investigate, I was prompted by the desire to get a
reliable report."

Singleton did not know what to make of this; so far as his experience
went, gentlemen who paid for an opinion on the property they meant to
dispose of did not want an unfavorable one.

"The rubber's scattered and grows in awkward places," he explained.

"Precisely." Herbert glanced at the paper. "You mentioned something
of the kind. But what about planting and systematic cultivation?"

"Soil and climate are eminently suitable."

"I gather that there's a difficulty in the way of obtaining native
labor?"

Singleton broke into a grim smile.

"It's a serious one. The natives consider strangers as their lawful
prey, and they lately managed to give a strong punitive expedition a
good deal of trouble. In fact, as they're in a rather restless mood,
the authorities were very dubious about letting me go inland, and in
spite of the care I took, they got two of my colored carriers. Shot
them with little poisoned arrows."

"Ah!" ejaculated Herbert. "Poisoned arrows? That should have a
deterrent eff