on him, is all right. And him with a bottle of milk duly made and
provided!" The field member of the firm slapped his thigh and
laughed loudly. "Then to forget the whole fracas and shake hands
on it! That's handsome! Mr. Gray, I'm here to say there's a lot of
boys going to lay off you like you was a cactus."

The object of this commendation was pleased. "Gratitude is rare,"
he murmured. "I thank you. Now then, I was thinking of making
friend Mallow a business proposition, but--perhaps I can interest
you, also, in doing something for me. I'll pay well."

"We're live ones," Stoner asserted.

"It is business of a confidential nature."

"All the talking we do is on the street. We're promoting wildcats,
but I guess we know as much about the good wells as the big
companies themselves, and when it comes to actual drilling, I've
forgotten more than all these boll weevils will ever learn. What
can we do for you?"

"For one thing, I wish to hire the brightest oil scout in the
district, but I don't want him, nor anyone else, for the time
being, to suspect that he's working for me. I will double his
salary to watch one operator. Perhaps he could appear to be in
your employ? Furthermore, I intend to do considerable secret
buying and selling, and I will need several dummies--moral
character unimportant. All I insist upon is absolute loyalty and
obedience to my orders."