"Just five cents more than nothing," observed Wiley judicially and waited for Blount to rave. "But your father," suggested Blount with a knowing leer, "is in the market at ten." "No, not in the market. He offered that to the Widow, but now the deal is off, because all of her stock has changed hands." "Well, the stock is the same," suggested Blount insinuatingly. "Give me seven and a half and split the profits." "Now don't be a crook," rapped out Wiley angrily. "Just because you would rob your own father doesn't by any means prove that I will." "Well, you certainly implied," protested Blount with injured innocence, "that this stock was to be sold to your father. And if it is worth that to him, why is it worth less to you? You must be working together." "No, we're not," declared Wiley. "I'm in on this alone, and have been, from the start. And just to set your mind at rest--he didn't make that offer because he wanted the stock, but to kind of help out the Widow." "Ah," smiled Blount, and nodded his head wisely, but there was a playful light in his eyes. "Yes--ah!" flashed back Wiley, "and if you think you're so danged smart I'll let you keep your old mine a few months." He started for the door again but Blount dragged him back and laid a metal box on the table. "Well, let's get down to business," he said with quick decision, and spread a heap of papers before his eyes. "There are all my Paymaster shares, and if you'll take them off my hands you can have them for six cents, cash." "I said five," returned Wiley, as he ran through the papers, "and an option to buy in six months. But this stock of the Widow's--I can't take that at any price--the Colonel isn't legally dead." "What?" yelled Blount, and sat down in a chair while he stared at the inscrutable Wiley. "His body was never found and, under the law, he can't be declared dead for seven years. Mrs. Huff had no right to sell his stock." "Oh, but he's dead, Wiley," assured Blount. "Surely there's no doubt of that. They found his burro, and his letters and everything; and where he had run wild through the sand. If that storm hadn't come up they would certainly have found his body--the Indian trailers said so; so why stick on a technicality?" "That's the law," said Wiley. "You know it yourself. But of course, if you want to vote this stock at a Directors' meeting we can still do business on that lease." "Oh, my Lord!" sighed Blount, and after a heavy silence he rose up and paced the floor. As for Wiley, he ran through the papers, making notes of dates and numbers, and then grimly began to fill out a legal blank. "There's the option," he said, passing over a paper, "and I see now how you double-crossed my father. So you don't need to sign unless you want to." "Why--er--what's that?" exclaimed Blount, coming out of his abstraction as Wiley slapped down the bundle of certificates.