l
sports. Fishing is a sport, therefore I came to you. All I need is ten
thousand dollars and it will make both of us rich in a year. Now, if
you will kindly write me out a check for that amount, I'll bid you
good-morning, and you can go on with your breakfast which I have
interrupted."

He began to pick up the scattered bits of paper, Mary helping him, while
Gibbs gazed rather stupidly at the queer figure with the bristling hair.
Then Dick laughed.

"Well, you certainly gave me a scare," he said. "I thought you wanted to
blow the place up. But I'm sorry I can't invest ten thousand dollars in
that machine. It seems to me it would be just as easy to stand on the
shore and throw the pieces of meat in the water by hand."

"Yes, of course, you could do it that way," admitted the professor, "but
it isn't half so scientific. However, I'll not urge you," and, picking
up his apparatus, he left the room after a low bow to Dick.

"He went away with less trouble than I expected," remarked Dick, as he
looked at the wet place on the floor and at some of the bits of paper
that still remained. "Well, Gibbs, I admit I was scared for a minute."

"So was I, Master Dick. I shouldn't have let him in, only you had given
orders that all respectable-looking visitors were to be treated nicely,
and I'm sure he looked respectable in spite of his queer hair."

"Oh, yes, he was respectable, all right. It's not your fault, Gibbs. I
guess I'll have to draw the line about callers a little closer,"
concluded Dick as he sat down to breakfast.

The summer passed away and fall came. Dick returned to the academy,
where he renewed his studies. Several times he was on the point of
making another investment, but, as the stock of the milk company went up
in value, he felt that this would answer the requirements of his
mother's will, and furnish the profit called for. So, though he
investigated many schemes that seemed to promise well, he did not take
any stock in them.

It was in May of the following spring, when, having looked at a
quotation of his milk stock, and found that it was a little higher than
it had ever been before, Dick walked down to his father's bank to
consult him about certain matters.

He found Mr. Hamilton in his private office, but the millionaire did not
have a cheerful smile on his face. Instead he looked troubled.

"What's the matter, dad?" asked Dick.

"Well, I don't like the way the money market looks in New York," was th