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." During the silence that followed, Gray felt the three men staring at him curiously.
"You're after big game, I take it ?" McWade inquired, mildly.
"The biggest in these woods." "One man, did you say ?" "One man." "Some--grudge, perhaps ?" "Perhaps." "A yacht is too expensive for most men, but they don't burn money as fast as a grudge." "This one will take his last dollar--or mine." "We're a legitimate firm, you know--" Gray's eyes twinkled as he exclaimed: "Exactly! If I have caused you to infer that I shall employ anything except legitimate means to effect my purpose, it is my error.

At the same time, my proposition is not one that I could well afford to take to the ordinary, conservative type of broker.