deliveries. He was
happy to contact Ugly Collins. And just now, Ugly had two objectives:
one, to get away from a place where work was paramount; the other, to
get back to Adot and look after a possible inheritance. He understood
that his mother had died, leaving the little homestead that surely
should have sold for more than mere funeral expenses.

A deal was quickly made. Archie would pay train fare and Ugly would
contact Hulls and Maizie; would move the bankrupts out of trouble and
poverty to an Eldorado of prosperity. For once in his varied and
useless career Ugly performed a successful mission. Hulls and Maizie
readily agreed to the plan. They would drive through--taking with them
needed and useful plunder. Having seen Maizie, Ugly decided he would
travel back with them. All details for the trip were now completed,
except that a little more expense money was badly needed.

Landy cautioned Ike Steele not to disclose the proposed move to
anyone else. Vaguely, Landy entertained the hope that someone--just
who, he had not planned--would buy the Bar-O. Acting on a hunch, he
"touched" his sister Alice for a hundred. On the drive-in, Adine
stopped the car while Davy invoiced his available cash at sixty-five
dollars. These conspirators now planned that immediately after a
contract was signed, Landy would search out Ike Steele, give him the
hundred dollars, to be given to Ugly Collins when the party was loaded
and on their way. Ike would be paid a personal ten, if he got it done.

And these conspirators made other plans. Knowing that in the interval
of getting phone connections they would be beset with furtive
questions from a curious executive. What was he going to do with the
ranch? how did he plan to get the resisters off? and other pertinent
questions, they planned for evasive answers.

"Leave that to me," said Mr. Lannarck. "I think I can parry every
thrust, can lead him through a mystic maze of information that will
pile up a lot of useless knowledge." And the little man was getting
along very well with his assignment, as Adine polished her nose at the
window and Landy Spencer sat quietly, seeming uninterested in mere
worldly affairs.

"You were speaking of employment awhile ago," said the persistent
Logan. "You spoke of 'placing' Maizie. Do you conduct that kind of an
agency?"

"No," said Davy, still busy with his notes. "In Maizie's case, I would
have to buy out the business, plan the details of her dress and