"Oh, he's the whole thing. Owns the First National Bank and the trolley
line and the Ledyard Salt and Lumber Company and most of the downtown real
estate."

"Where can I find him? Is he in town?"

"I guess so. He's got an office across the river. Just ask anybody where
the Sloan Building is."

"Likely to be there as early as this?" asked Bannon, looking at his watch.

"Sure, if he's in town."

Bannon slipped his watch into his pocket. "Much obliged," he said. "Glad
to have met you. Good morning;" and, turning, he walked rapidly away down
the plank wagon road.

In Sloan's office he stated his errand as briefly as on the former
occasion, adding only that he had already seen Dennis.

"I guess he told you all there is to tell," said the magnate. "We can't
make the G.&M. give us cars. I've told Dennis to stir 'em up as hard as he
could. I guess we'll have to wait."

"I can't wait."

"What else can you do? It's every bit as bad for us as it is for you, and
you can rest assured that we'll do all we can." As if the cadence of his
last sentence were not sufficiently recognizable as a formula of
dismissal, he picked up a letter that lay on his desk and began reading