uire?"

"At the least, fifty millions. We must lie concealed until the pool
develop its purpose. It will make but little difference, once it be
developed; 'bull' or 'bear,' we meet them either way. Fifty millions
should do. If that sum crowd you, we must recollect that I, myself, am
not without a handful of millions that can never have better employment
than fighting the battles of a son of Dudley Storms."

"Fifty millions would be no strain," replied Richard quickly. "To be
safe, let us call those fifty millions one hundred. Still, I am deeply
obliged for your proffer."

"One hundred millions be it," quoth Mr. Bayard. "We'll organize
ourselves, and we'll wait and watch. When they move, we meet them.
Should they sell, we buy; should they buy,--which they won't,--we sell;
in either event we buy or sell them to a standstill. Should they connive
a 'bear' raid, they'll sell their way into as formidable a corner as
ever 'bear' was squeezed in."

This befell upon that first visit of Richard to Mr. Bayard. Two days
later, Richard returned. Mr. Gwynn met him, brisk upon the hour, in one
of the numerous private rooms of Mr. Bayard, and turned over one hundred
millions in certified checks upon those fifty banks. Richard dismissed
Mr. Gwynn and went in to Mr. Bayard.

"I shall deposit these," said Mr. Bayard, "in ten banks, twenty millions
in the City Bank and the balance scattered among the other nine. You may
leave the details of our enterprise to me; I have been through many of
similar color. I need not suggest the value of silence. Meanwhile, and I
can't emphasize this too much, if you would busy yourself to advantage
make what discoveries you may touching the pending report on Northern
Consolidated."

On that evening when they came together outside the Harley house, Storri
and the San Reve continued slowly on their way, turning now east, now
south, until after ten minutes of walking they entered a narrow
thoroughfare to which the street lamp on the corner gave the name of
Grant Place. The houses were sober and reputable. Up the steps of one of
the soberest went Storri and the San Reve; the latter let them in with a
latch-key. Storri consigned his overcoat and hat to the rack in the hall
as though his surroundings were familiar, and he with the San Reve
passed into what in the original plan of the house had been meant for a
drawing-room.

The house was occupied by a stirring lady named Warmdollar, who served
her count