Smythe’s leathery face had as much expression as a blank wall, but Eaton gasped. The unparalleled audacity of flinging the billionaire’s overture back in his face left him for the moment speechless. He knew that Ridgway had tempted Providence a hundred times without coming to disaster, but surely this was going too far. Any reasonable compromise with the great trust builder would be cause for felicitation. He had confidence in his chief to any point in reason, but he could not blind himself to the fact that the wonderful successes he had gained were provisional rather than final. He likened them to Stonewall Jackson’s Shenandoah raid, very successful in irritating, disorganizing and startling the enemy, but with no serious bearing on the final inevitable result. In the end Harley would crush his foes if he set in motion the whole machinery of his limitless resources. That was Eaton’s private opinion, and he was very much of the feeling that this was an opportune time to get in out of the rain. “Don’t you think we had better consider that answer before we send it, Waring?” he suggested in a low voice. His chief nodded a dismissal to the secretary before answering. “I have considered it.” “But—surely it isn’t wise to reject his advances before we know what they are.” “I haven’t rejected them. I’ve simply explained that we are doing business on equal terms. Even if I meant to compromise, it would pay me to let him know he doesn’t own me.” “He may decide not to offer his proposition.” “It wouldn’t worry me if he did.” Eaton knew he must speak now if his protest were to be of any avail. “It would worry me a good deal. He has shown an inclination to be friendly. This answer is like a slap in the face.” “Is it?” “Doesn’t it look like that to you?” Ridgway leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully at his friend. “Want to sell out, Steve?” “Why—what do you mean?” asked the surprised treasurer. “If you do, I’ll pay anything in reason for your stock.” He got up and began to pace the floor with long deliberate strides. “I’m a born gambler, Steve. It clears my head to take big chances. Give me a good fight on my hands with the chances against me, and I’m happy. You’ve got to take the world by the throat and shake success out of it if you’re going to score heavily. That’s how Harley made good years ago. Read the story of his life. See the chances he took. He throttled combinations a dozen times as strong as his. Some people say he was an accident. Don’t you believe it. Accidents like him don’t happen. He won because he was the biggest, brainiest, most daring and unscrupulous operator in the field. That’s why I’m going to win—if I do win.” “Yes, if you win.”