The San Francisco call., 1904-10-23

mean. Well have to work up to It
go along'
II concede that much" said Kent.
And you may as well begin on this
same Transwestern deap-wherewith
ne pieced together the inferences
which pointed to the stock smashing
project behind the receivership.
Don't use too much of it, he added,
In conclusion. 1T is all inference and
deduction as yet, as 1 say. But you
will admit it's plausible"
The editor was sitting far back in
his chair again, chewing absently on
the extinct cigar.
Kent, did you fuf-figure all that out
by yOurself?"
NO" said Kent. briefly. There is
keener mind than mine behind it
and behind this oil field business, as
WELL"
I'd like to give that mind a stunt
on the Argus" said the editor. But
about the Belmount mix-up: you will
give us a stickful now and then as we
go along, If you unearth anything that
the public would like to read?"
Certainly; any and every thing that
won't tend to interfere with my little
intermediate scheme. AS / have intf-
mated, must bring Bucks to terms on
my own account before 1 turn him
over to you and the people of the State.
But / mean to. be in on that, too"
Hildreth wagged his head dubiously.
Il may be overcautious, and l don't
want to seem to scare you out, Kent.
You ought to know your man better
than 1 do-better than any of us; but
if / had your job / believe / should
want to travel with bodyguard. do,
for a fact"
David Kent's laugh came easily
Fear, the fear of man, was not among
his weaknesses.
II am taking all the chances" he
said. and so the conference ended.
Two days later the editorial" cam
paign was opened by an editorial in
the Argus setting forth some hitherto
unpublished matter concerning the
manner in which the Transwestern had
been placed in the hands of receiver
In its next issue the paper named the
receivership after it's true author,
showing by a list of the officials that
the road under Major Guilford had
been made a hospital for Bucks politi-
clans. and limiting pointedly that 1t was
to be wrecked for the benefit of stock
jobbing syndicate of Eastern capital
lists.
Having thus reawakened public in
terest in the Transwestern affair. Hill
dreth sounded a new note of alarm
pitched upon the efforts of the Univer-
sal Oil Company to establish itself in
the Belmount oil region; a cry which
was promptly taken up by other State
editors. This editorial was followed
closely by others in the same strain,
and at the end of fortnight Kent was
fain to call halt.
mot too fast. Hildreth," he eau
toned. dropping into the editors den
one night. You are doing mighty
good work. but you are making 1t In
nitely harder for me-driving the game
to deeper cover. One Of my men had
a clew: Bucks and Meigs were holding
conferences with man from the Bel
mont field whose record runs back to
New York. But they have taken the
alarm and thrown US off the track"
The Secretary OF States office Is the
place you want to watch" said Hill
dreth. New oil companies are incor-
porating every day. Pretty soon one
Of these will swallow up all the others:
that one will be the Universal under
another name, and, In its application
for a charter you'll find askings big
enough to cover all the rights and
privileges of the original monopoly"
That is a good idea," said Kent,
who already had clerk in the Secre-
tary Of States office in his pay. But