Stephen Eaton, an alert, clear-eyed young fellow who served as fidus Achates to Ridgway, and was the secretary and treasurer of the Mesa Ore-producing Company, took the seat Smythe had vacated. He was good-looking, after a boyish, undistinguished fashion, but one disposed to be critical might have voted the chin not quite definite enough. He had been a clerk of the Consolidated, working for one hundred dollars a month, when Ridgway picked him out and set his feet in the way of fortune. He had done this out of personal liking, and, in return, the subordinate was frankly devoted to his chief. “Steve, my opinion is that Alpine is a false alarm. Unless I guess wrong, it is merely a surface proposition and low-grade at that.” “Miller says—” “Yes, I know what Miller says. He’s wrong. I don’t care if he is the biggest copper expert in the country.” “Then you won’t invest?” “I have invested—bought the whole outfit, lock, stock and barrel.” “But why? What do you want with it if the property is no good?” asked Eaton in surprise. Ridgway laughed shortly. “I don’t want it, but the Consolidated does. Two of their experts were up at Alpine last week, and both of them reported favorably. I’ve let it leak out to their lawyer, O’Malley, that Miller thought well of it; in fact, I arranged to let one of their spies steal a copy of his report to us.” “But when they know you have bought it?” “They won’t know till too late. I bought through a dummy. It seemed a pity not to let then have the property since they wanted it so badly, so this morning he sold out for me to the Consolidated at a profit of a hundred and fifty thousand.” Eaton grinned appreciatively. It was in startling finesse of this sort his chief excelled, and Stephen was always ready with applause. “I notice that Hobart slipped out of town last night. That is where he must have been going. He’ll be sick when he learns how you did him.” Ridgway permitted himself an answering smile. “I suppose it will irritate him a trifle, but that can’t be helped. I needed that money to get clear on that last payment for the Sherman Bell.” “Yes, I was worried about that. Notes have been piling up against us that must be met. There’s the Ransom note, too. It’s for a hundred thousand.” “He’ll extend it,” said the chief confidently. “He told me he would have to have his money when it came due. I’ve noticed he has been pretty close to Mott lately. I expect he has an arrangement with the Consolidated to push us.” “I’m watching him, Steve. Don’t worry about that. He did arrange to sell the note to Mott, but I stopped that little game.” “How?” “For a year I’ve had all the evidence of that big government timber steal of his in a safety-deposit vault. Before he sold, I had a few words with him. He changed his mind and decided he preferred to hold the notes. More, he is willing to let us have another hundred thousand if we have to have it.”