"By George, Bolton, I wish I had time to show you how it ought to be done, but I’ve got to think of getting back to New York toward the end of the month. Why, this is my vacation time, and I’m carrying on five trades that count up to three or four million dollars. Of course, I couldn’t afford to touch ’em under ordinary circumstances, but one has to do these little things for one’s friends. I took a run down to New York just before I came out here, and we had a little dinner at the club--oh, there were only a dozen of us, or so--but big men all of them. Why, the men around that table could have signed a joint note for three hundred million--and got it discounted, too, if there was a bank big enough to do the business. Young Vanderbilt was there--I suppose we must call him Old Van, now the Commodore is gone--Astor, Belmont, and the rest of that crowd. Jay Gould couldn’t come, because he and Vanderbilt don’t speak. I was telling them that I was going to make a flying trip out here, when Vanderbilt pipes up, and says, ’General Wilson, you’re just the man we want. There are good bargains to be picked up out there, and you must keep your eye out for them.’ And the others chimed in and said, ’Yes, you must do some business for us while you are out there.’ ’Hold on, gentlemen,’ I said; ’I’m going out for a vacation, and I can’t burden my mind with business.’ But it was no use. The more I protested, the warmer they got over it--insisted that I could get lots more fun out of the trip if I did business than I could if I didn’t--said it was like a man going for a walk--if he’s just out for exercise it’s confounded stupid work, and he gets tired in no time; but put a gun on his shoulder and turn him out to look for deer and he will tramp all day and think he’s had no end of fun. Well, at last I had to give in. What can you do when you’ve got three hundred million against you? So I said, ’Gentlemen, let’s have everything regular. Get up a syndicate--make it a blind pool--and I’ll guarantee to bring you back something worth while.’ Well, they jumped at that idea like cats at a mouse, and in ten minutes they had made up a five-million-dollar pool. So I expect to put in at least three million before I leave. I closed one big trade with Governor Stanford last night, and I’ve got three or four others on the books now." Peter Bolton’s gaunt sallow face, with its projecting jaw, lost none of its sourness, but a sardonic smile tightened his thin lips and drew down the corners of his mouth. "Well," he drawled in his cracked nasal tone, "you can have that tract of mine for six hundred thousand." "Couldn’t think of it," said General Wilson bruskly. "Two hundred thousand would be a fancy figure for it. I don’t want it, anyhow, unless I can get that piece of Kendrick’s just above it." Bolton’s thin lips tightened once more, and a slight flush passed over his sallow face.