ceable and reasonable. Therefore, the feller
that has the remainin' two per cent of the stock, or forty shares,
stands perty clost to controllin' the corporation, eh? Him votin' with
either of the forty-nine per cents? Sounds that way, don't it?... And I
got that two per cent.... Do I hear any suggestions?"

Castle stood up and bowed. "I take off my hat to you, Baines.... I bid
ten thousand."

"Eleven," choked McKettrick.

"This here road's goin' to be mighty profitable. Contract with the
Seaboard folks makes it look like it would pay eighteen, twenty per cent
on the investment, maybe more. And control--hain't that wuth a figger?"

"Fifteen," said Castle.

"Sixteen."

"Seventeen five hundred."

"That's enough," said Scattergood. "I got a leetle grudge ag'in'
McKettrick for havin' bad manners, and for regardin' me as somethin' to
pick and eat. It'll hurt him some to have you control this road, Castle,
so you git it, at seventeen thousand five hunderd. I don't want to burn
you, and I calc'late the figger you're payin' is clost to bein' fair.
I'm satisfied. Write a check."

Castle drew out his check book, and in a moment passed the valuable slip
across to Scattergood. "Thankee," said Baines, "and good day.... Another
time, McKettrick, don't look sneerin' at white woolen socks."

He walked out of the room, followed by Johnnie Bones.

"Perty fair deal for a scissor bill," said Scattergood. "This last
check, deductin' four thousand as cost of stock, gives me a profit of
twelve thousand two hunderd and fifty for the day. Add that to eighteen
thousand one hunderd and fifty on the strips of land, and nineteen
thousand six hunderd on the stock I sold Castle first, and what do we
git?"

"Even fifty thousand," said Johnnie.

"I always did cotton to round figgers," said Scattergood, comfortably.
"Let's git us a meal of vittles."

CHAPTER VI

INSURANCE THAT DID NOT LAPSE

Scattergood Baines was not a man to shingle his roof before he built his
foundations. He knew the value of shingles, and was not without some
appreciation for frescoes and porticoes and didos, but he liked to reach
them in the ordinary course of logical procedure. His completed
structure, according to the plans carefully printed on his brain, was
the domination of Coldriver Valley through ownership of its means of
transportation and of its water power. He wanted to be rich, not for the
sake of being rich, but because a great deal of money i