y, I reckon," Donovan
said, laughingly; but his smile vanished very quickly as he saw the look
which came over the boy's face.

"What's the matter, lad?" Joe cried, and instead of replying Fred handed
him the telegram, which read as follows:

"MR. FRED BYRAM:--Superintendent Wright has served an
injunction restraining our company from taking further steps,
on the plea that the land purchased belongs to him. His case,
so far as I can learn, is very strong. It is advisable that you
and Brace come here at once."

"ARTHUR HUNTER."

"Wha--wha--what does it mean?" Joe stammered.

"I should say things were gettin' serious," Donovan replied, as he read
the message over Joe's shoulder, "Mr. Wright is a hard man to fight, an'
the chances are he'll get the best of you."

Then he left the house as if in great haste to spread this additional
news, and the partners looked at each other in dismay.

"That is why we've heard nothin' from the superintendent since our
secret leaked out," Bill said, grimly. "You two had better tramp across
to save time. You can get there three hours ahead of the next train."

"Come on," Fred cried, as he aroused from the daze caused by the
startling intelligence. "Let's learn the worst quickly."

"It's pretty tough to lose the thing after swellin' as we have for the
last couple of days," Joe added, gloomily, but without rising from his
seat.

"Don't whine 'till we're sure it's gone," and Bill tried very hard to
speak cheerily.

At this point Mrs. Byram entered the invalid's room to say:

"Mr. Wright has sent over to ask Fred and Mr. Brace to call at his
office."

"Matters are beginning to look brighter already," Bill cried, and Joe
asked gruffly:

"How do you make that out?"

"If he was so sure of provin' we had no claim to the land, he wouldn't
have a word to say. Now he's tryin' to make a trade."

"He can't with me. Unless you, Fred an' Sam insist, it'll be the whole
or nothing."

"Now that's the way to talk," Bill replied. "If we can raise the money
to fight there won't be any bargain made."

"Don't you intend to call upon the superintendent?" Mrs. Byram asked.

"Not a bit of it, ma'am. Tell whoever he sends that Fred an' Joe are too
busy just now, but if he wants to make a 'pointment some time next week,
they'll try to see him."

"But it can't do any harm to talk with Mr. Wright."

"It won't do any good, an' they'd better see the lawyer first."