"You’ll have a chance to get better acquainted with him," said Kendrick, "but I can’t promise you that he improves on acquaintance." He smoothed his ruddy cheeks, and ran his fingers through his side-whiskers, and then continued: "You’d better not come to see me till you have something important to report. You’ll find it easier to get hold of things if the old spider doesn’t know that you are in my employ. Send word around to my office when you want to see me. I suppose you’ll want some money. You needn’t spare expense. I guess this will do for a starter." And, reaching into his pocket, he brought up a handful of twenties and passed them over. And in this pleasant way began my active relations with the famous feud that was to shake San Francisco to its foundations. Several days of cautious but diligent inquiry followed before my industry was rewarded with an insight into Peter Bolton’s purposes. Then a lead of much promise opened, and I sent word to my employer that I was prepared to make a progress report. "Come around to the office to-night--nine-thirty," was the reply; and prompt to the minute I mounted the stairs of the California Street building in which Wharton Kendrick kept his business quarters, and knocked at his private door. At his brusk "Come in," I entered, and found him seated behind his wide desk busily running over a bundle of papers. The gas-light fell on his ruddy face and was reflected in glints from his red side-whiskers with which he eked out the fullness of his cheeks. He was indeed a handsome man, and carried his sixty years with the ease of forty. "So you have brought news," he said, thrusting his papers into a drawer and leaning back to receive my communication. "Well, what is the old fox up to now?" "I have the honor," I returned, "to report that the old fox has turned reformer." "Reformer?" And a puzzled look overspread his face. "Well, if he wants a job in that line he won’t have to leave home to get it. He can spend the rest of his life reforming himself and not have time enough by half." "He is not so selfish as all that. His zeal has reached out to embrace the regeneration of the whole human race--or at least the part of it that inhabits San Francisco." "What do you mean? I may be thick-headed, but I don’t get your meaning." "Oh, it is just as I say. And to carry out his benevolent purposes he has engaged the services of the Council of Nine--or at least has entered into active cooperation with it." "The Council of Nine! I never heard of it." Wharton Kendrick looked at me in amazement. "Well, to confess the truth, I never heard of it myself until to-day. However, you are likely to hear more of it later. It has a valiant recruit in Bolton." "But what is it? What is it trying to do?"