ng, cheerful voice. "Never felt better
in my life," was his answer to Tavistock's inquiry as to his health.
"Even old Sackett admits I'm in condition. But he says I must have no
irritations--so, be careful to carry out orders."

He felt as well as he said. His body seemed the better for its rest
and purification, for its long freedom from his occasional but terrific
assaults upon it, for having got rid of the superfluous flesh which had
been swelling and weighting it.

He made Tavistock repeat all the orders he had given him, to assure
himself he had not been misunderstood. As he listened to the rehearsal
of his own shrewd plans his eyes sparkled. "I'll bag the last----of
them," he muttered, and his lips twisted into a smile at which Culver
winced.

When the ticker clicked the first quotation of Great Lakes Dumont said:
"Now, clear out, Culver! And shut the door after you, and let no one
interrupt me until I call." He wished to have no restraint upon his
thoughts, no eyes to watch his face, no ears to hear what the fortune
of the battle might wring from him.

As the ticker pushed out the news of the early declines and recoveries
in Great Lakes, Tavistock leading the Fanning-Smith crowd on to make
heavier and heavier plunges, Dumont could see in imagination the
battle-field--the floor of the Stock Exchange--as plainly as if he were
there.

The battle began with a languid cannonade between the two seemingly
opposed parts of Dumont's army. Under cover of this he captured most
of the available actual shares of Great Lakes--valuable aids toward
making his position, his "corner," impregnable. But before he had
accomplished his full purpose Zabriskie, nominal lieutenant-commander,
actual commander of the Fanning-Smith forces, advanced to give battle.
Instead of becoming suspicious at the steadiness of the price under his
attacks upon it, Zabriskie was lured on to sell more of those Great
Lakes shares which he did not have. And he beamed from his masked
position as he thought of the batteries he was holding in reserve for
his grand movement to batter down the price of the stock late in the
day, and capture these backers of the property that was supposed to be
under the protection of the high and honorable Fanning-Smiths.

He was still thinking along this line, as he stood aloof and apparently
disinterested, when Dumont began to close in upon him. Zabriskie,
astonished by this sudden tremendous fire, was alarmed