"O.K.," said Walt. "But he's going to go nuts when the Northern Landing Exchange starts down without ever getting to that mythical nine hundred." "Let him wonder. Meanwhile, fellows, let's run ourselves a slide on Terran Electric. Sell the works!" Terran Electric started down just as I. C. Preferred took its third drop. It passed three hundred, and started down the two hundred numbers. Walt shook his head and said to Kingman: "Kingman, we're getting results now. She's dropped back again--to six hundred and three." Then he said: "Kingman, someone is playing hob with T. E. Preferred. She's up to two hundred and fifty-one." To Don, Walt said: "Good thing that Kingman has that Sinese Chimphony for a bit of mood music, or he'd recognize my voice." "Which way will he jump?" laughed Don. "That was a slick bit of Kingman-baiting, Walt, in spite of your voice." "Kingman's taking it hard," said Wes. "We says to drop some of his own stock so that they can use the money to manipulate the I. C. stuff." "O.K.," said Jim Baler. "This looks like a good time to think about buying some of Kingman's stuff. Right?" "Wait until his sales hit bottom," said Don. "Walt, tip us off." "O.K. What now?" "Wait a bit and see." Terran Electric went down some more, and then Jim said: "Now?" "Now," answered Don. "You too, Wes." "Me too?" asked Walt. "You continue to sell!" "Oh-oh," said Wes. "Kingman is wild. He wants to know what's the matter with the market." "Tell him that your end is all right, and that I. C. Preferred is still going down, but steady." "O.K.," said Walt. * * * * * The hours went by, and Kingman became more and more frantic. I. C. Preferred would be reported at five hundred, but the Northern Landing Exchange said two-ten. Meanwhile, Terran Electric-- "Oh, lovely," said Don. "Beautiful. We've got us a reciprocating market now, better than Kingman's. When she's up at Terra, they're down at Canalopsis and Northern Landing--and vice versa. Keep it pumping, boys, and we'll get enough money to buy Kingman out." The vacillating market went on, and Don's gang continued to rock the Terran Electric stock. Then as the market was about to close for the day, Don said: "Sell 'em short!" Terran Electric stock appeared on the market in great quantities. Its value dropped down and down and down, and Kingman, appraised of the fall by Walt, who magnified it by not less than two to one, apparently got frantic again, for he said: "We're running short. Drop your Terran stock to bolster the I. C. job!" "Oh, lovely," said Don. "You said that." "I repeat it. Look, fellows, gather all the T. E. Preferred and I. C. Preferred you can. Walt, tell him that Terran Electric is dropping fast, so he'll scuttle more of his stuff, and we'll pick it up slowly enough so that we won't raise the market. How're we fixed for I. C. Preferred?" "Not too bad. Can we hit him once more?" "Go ahead," said Don.