premises. He
now flew back to New York, and went to sundry persons of some means and
some position but of no great nobility, and thus he said:

"Here are these wealthy and distinguished oil men right there on the
ground who are going to be trustees of my new company.

"You serve too, won't you? One thousand shares for your trouble--five
thousand dollars. No money to pay--I will see to all that. Here are the
lands we can buy,"--and he showed his lists. The bribe, and the names of
those already bribed, influenced them, and this secured three more
trustees. Two more were needed, namely the President and Vice
President. Rolleum himself was to be the latter; his next move was to
secure the former.

This, the most critical part of the scheme, was cunningly delayed until
this time. Rolleum went to the Honorable A. Bee, a gentleman of a good
deal of ability, pretty widely known, not very rich, believed (perhaps
for that reason) to be honest, no longer young, and of a reverend yet
agreeable presence. Him the plausible Rolleum told all about the new
Company; what a respectable board of trustees there was going to be--and
he showed the names; all either experienced and substantial men of the
oil country, or reputable business men of New York City. And they have
agreed to serve, in part because they know what a very honest company
this is, and still more because they hope that the Honorable A. Bee will
become President.

"My dear Sir," urged Rolleum, sweetly, "this legitimate business
enterprise _must_ succeed, and _must_ secure wealth, reputation, and
influence to all connected with it. We know that you are above pecuniary
considerations, and that you do not need our influence, or anybody's. We
need yours. And you need not do any work. I will do that. We only need
your name. And merely as a matter of form, because the officers are
expected to be interested in their own company, I have set apart two
thousand shares, being at half par or $5 a share, $10,000 of stock, to
stand in your name. See how respectable all these Trustees are!" And he
showed the list and preached upon the items of it.

"This man is worth so many millions, that man is such an influential
editor. Could I have obtained such names if this were not a perfectly
square thing?"

Ten thousand dollars will go some ways towards squaring almost anything,
with many people, even if it is a mere matter of form; and so the old
gentleman consented. This fixed the whole