bably with a
view to further business he also offered to purchase any of the
Grenfell shares they might have to dispose of.

Saunders' eyes gleamed as he handed the certificate around.

"I guess that's going to send our stock up with a bang," he said.
"We'll put it right into Wannop's hands, so he can get a notice of the
new mineral field into the papers. The smelter man doesn't seem to
know that the last news we had was that the Grenfell stock was
tumbling down, but when he's open to buy it's a sure thing that he
figures it will soon stand at a big premium."

Then he waved his hand impressively.

"After what Weston has told us, boys, you want to get hold of the
significance of that. People have been selling our stock way down, on
the notion that before they had to deliver they could cover at a still
lower figure. Now, they can't buy it. We're going to smash them flat."

They celebrated the occasion that night with the most elaborate meal
Devine could prepare, and invited as many as possible of their
neighbors, who also had struck what promised to be payable milling
ore. As it happened, their satisfaction was fully warranted, for a few
days after Weston's letter arrived in Montreal two gentlemen connected
with western mines called on Wannop. Stirling was sitting in the
latter's office at the time, and he made no sign of retiring when they
entered.

"We should like a few minutes' conversation with you about the
Grenfell stock," said one of the strangers. "Naturally, we'd prefer to
have it alone."

Wannop looked at Stirling, who smiled and answered the man.

"I'm afraid you'll have to put up with my presence," he said. "In
fact, this is a pleasure that I've been expecting for the last few
days."

"What standing has Mr. Stirling in this matter?" the stranger asked.

"I hold most of the Grenfell stock that's likely to be salable," said
Stirling, dryly. "You can't pick up much on the market, which is
presumably why you have come to Wannop. Seems to me you have been
selling rather heavily."

"If we'd known you were in it, we might have let the thing alone," one
of the men admitted.

"You're going to realize that it's quite a pity you didn't."

The men looked at each other, and one of them turned to Stirling.

"I'll get to the point," he said. "We have certainly been selling, and
now that settling day is almost on us we find that we can't buy in.
Now, of course, if you hold most of the available stock you hav