it.

"This isn't an ordinary kick," said Bannon sharply. "It isn't just a case
of us having to pay a big delay forfeit. There's a reason why our job's
got to be done on time. I want to know the reason why the G.&M. won't give
you cars. It ain't because they haven't got them."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because there's three big strings of empties within twenty miles of here
this minute. I saw them when I came up this morning."

For a minute Sloan said nothing, only traced designs on the blotter with
his pencil. Bannon saw that there was no longer any question of arousing
his interest. At last he spoke:--

"I've suspected that there was something in the wind, but I've been too
busy with other things to tend to it, so I turned it over to Dennis.
Perhaps he's done as well as I could I don't know much about G.&M. these
days. For a long time they were at me to take a big block of treasury
stock, but the road seemed to me in bad shape, so I wouldn't go in. Lately
they've reorganized--have got a lot of new money in there--I don't know
whose, but they've let me alone. There's been no row, you understand. That
ain't the reason they've tied us up, but I haven't known much about what
was going on inside."

"Would they be likely to tell you if you asked? I mean if you took it to
headquarters?"

"I couldn't get any more out of them than you could--that is, not by