“Then lay back an’ be happy,” advised Conover, “After that bill is smashed an’ the public sees Steeloid is on the ground to stay, the stock’ll take another big hop. If you an’ Standish an’ the others have a few thousands to use in buyin’ on margin you’ll clean up a good lookin’ pile. I’ve got other deals on now that make Steeloid look like thirty cents. So I ain’t lyin’ awake worryin’ on my own account. It’s as much for you fellers as for myself that I’m goin’ to get down to work on the Blacarda matter, as soon as I come back from my vacation. It’ll mean a week or two of big work, on the quiet. Then the bill’s comin’ up an’--goin’ down for keeps.” “You’re awfully good to give us these tips,” said Caine “And we all appreciate it. But aren’t you afraid Blacarda may attack some other interests of yours as well as Steeloid? He hates you; and he is not the sort of a man to confine himself to a single line of revenge.” “There’s where you’re wrong, son,” answered Conover, “The trouble with you people is, you get all your learnin’ from books wrote by other folks as stoopid as yourselves. The thing to study ain’t a book. It’s your feller-man. Then there’d be fewer folks took in by gold-brick games. Look at me, now, f’r instance. I never read a book clear through in my life. But there ain’t a man of my ’quaintance I haven’t read through. So, they’re as easy for me to read as a primer. Now, _you_ look at Blacarda as a sort of man who’s li’ble to attack me from a dozen sides at once. That’s ’cause you can’t read him. I can. An’ I know what he’s li’ble to do an’ what he ain’t. Blacarda b’longs to the King Cobra class. Harmless as a kitten to them that knows where his poison’s hid, an’ only dang’rous to folks that picks him up by the wrong end.” Caleb, warming to his theme, leaned back against the corner of the table and laid down the coat he was folding.