“If it holds out such opportunities for others, why not for me?” he asked. “If others have entirely overlooked the possibilities, why may not I be doing the same thing?” He met the colonel on the street occasionally, and the way the colonel smiled at him was maddening. There could be no doubt that the colonel considered the game won, but he was not a man to take chances: he had Lake watched, and the latter’s every move was reported to him. Even when Lake made another trip to Bington and endeavored to arrange a shrewd deal with some of the majority stock-holders, the colonel promptly heard of it. “Accept my notes in payment for the stock,” Lake urged on that occasion, “and I’ll let you in on the profits of the deal. The traction company has got to get this road, but you can’t hold it up for a big price, because you were foolish enough to give it a second option. I can do it, however. Let me have the stock, and you can divide up among yourselves half of all I get in excess of the option price. My notes will be paid, and you will have a bonus of twelve or fifteen thousand dollars.” But the stock-holders were conservative and cautious men, and the very fact that Lake could not command the money that he needed made them suspicious. As matters stood, they were sure of getting out of a losing venture with a small profit—at least, so it seemed to them—and they preferred that to the risk of losing everything in an effort to secure a larger profit. Furthermore, they were now on the side of the colonel, for his option was at a larger price. And the colonel was very confident—so confident that work was being rushed on details that would prove valueless without the Bington road. This was what made Lake desperately angry; it was humiliating to be treated as a helpless weakling. As valuable time passed, his mind reverted again to the insurance field. His opportunity—the opportunity of a lifetime—was almost lost. The colonel, wishing to lose no time, had arranged for a meeting with certain of the majority stock-holders the day the first option expired. The option expired at noon, and the colonel would be ready to take over what stock he needed at one minute after the noon hour. This would not be very much, in view of the minority stock he already held, but the sanguine stock-holders did not know this: they expected him to take all of it. “Some of them are going to find they’re tricked, just as I am,” Lake grumbled. “If I could only convince Belden of the ultimate absolute security of a loan! He wants to help me; he’s ready to be convinced; but—” People passing saw this moody, depressed young man stop short in the street and his eye light with sudden hope. “By thunder!” he exclaimed. “Of course, I can protect him against unforeseen disaster, if he has confidence in my integrity!” He was almost jubilant when he entered Belden’s office. “Got the money?” asked Belden. “No; but I know how to get it,” replied Lake. “You believe in my honesty, don’t you?”