carried Monty off his feet.

"How did you do it, my boy?" cried the Colonel. "She's off a point
or two now, I believe, but half an hour ago she was booming. Gad,
I never heard of anything more spectacular!"

Monty's heart was in his mouth as he rushed over to the ticker. It
did not take him long to grasp the immensity of the disaster.
Gardner had bought in at 108 3/4, and that very action seemed to
put new life into the stock. Just as it was on the point of
breaking for lack of support along came this sensational order for
ten thousand shares; and there could be but one result. At one
time in the morning Lumber and Fuel, traded in by excited holders,
touched 113 1/2 and seemed in a fair way to hold firm around that
figure.

Other men came up and listened eagerly. Brewster realized that his
dash in Lumber and Fuel had been a master-stroke of cleverness
when considered from the point of view of these men, but a
catastrophe from his own.

"I hope you sold it when it was at the top," said the Colonel
anxiously.

"I instructed Gardner to sell only when I gave the word," said
Monty, lamely. Several of the men looked at him in surprise and
disgust.

"Well, if I were you I'd tell him to sell," remarked the Colonel,
coldly.