"Ho, ho, ho," chuckled Hallett. "You're a slick article, ain't you,
Raish? Why, you wooden-headed swab, did you cal'late you was the only
one that had heard about the directors' meetin' over to the Denboro
Trust Company yesterday? _I_ knew the Trust Company folks had decided
not to go ahead with the fish storage business just as well as you did,
and I heard it just as soon, too. _I_ know they've decided to put the
twelve hundred shares of Wellmouth Development stock into profit and
loss, or to just hang on and see if it ever does come to anything. But
you cal'lated I didn't know it and that maybe you could unload your five
hundred shares on to me at cut rates, eh? Raish, you're slick--but you
ain't bright, not very."

He chuckled again. Mr. Pulcifer whistled, apparently expressing
resignation.

"ALL right, Cap'n," he observed, cheerfully, "just as you say. No harm
in tryin', was there? Never catch a fish without heavin' over a hook,
as the feller said. Maybe somebody else that ain't heard will buy that
stock, you can't tell."

"Maybe so, but--See here, Raish, don't you go tryin' anything like this
on--on--"

"I know who you mean. No danger. There ain't money enough there to buy
anything, if what I hear's true."

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothin', nothin'. Just talk, I guess. Well, Jeth, I won't keep you