too, experienced oil men and the large companies who had seen
town-site booms in other states, kept away, surrendering the place
to tenderfeet and to promoters. Of these, thousands came, and
never was there a harvest so ripe for their gleaning.

Naturally a little country town like this could not hold the
newcomers, therefore Wichita Falls became their headquarters. Here
there were at least a few hotels and some sort of office
quarters--sheds beneath which the shearing could take place--and
there the herd assembled.

Of course, the cougars followed, and, oh, the easy pickings for
them! A fresh kill daily. Warm meat with every meal. Such hunting
they had never known, hence they gorged themselves openly, seldom
quarreling among themselves nor even bothering to conceal the
carcasses of their prey. It was easier to pull down a new victim
than to return to the one of the day before.

Rooming houses slept their guests in relays, canvas dormitories
sprang up on vacant lots, the lobbies of the hotels were packed
with shouldering maniacs until they resembled wheat pits, the
streets were clogged with motor cars, and the sidewalks were
jammed like subway platforms. Store fronts were knocked out and
the floor space was railed off into rows of tiny bull-pen brokers'
offices, and in these companies by the hundred were promoted.
Stock in them was sold on the sidewalks by bally-hoo men with
megaphone voices. It seldom required more than a few hours to
dispose of an entire issue, for this was a credulous and an elated
mob, and its daily fare was exaggeration. Stock exchanges were
opened up where, amid frenzied shoutings, went on a feverish