“Are, eh?” grinned the man. “So was I--in the wrong way. Just now it doesn’t matter one way or the other. The crowd Dorsett was working with has set me adrift, and I’ve got nothing to expect from them. What is it you want to know, guv’nor?”
“Just this,” answered Ralph--“any tricks they are up to that aren’t square.”
“Lots of those, guv’nor. Dorsett is bound to break up Glidden, if he can.”
“I know that; I understand he has bought up a big claim against Mr. Glidden and will put it into execution tomorrow if it isn’t paid.”
“That’s right.”
“And it will put Mr. Glidden to a lot of costs to redeem his plant.”
“Say, guv’nor,” here interrupted the man--“there’ll be no redeeming in the case.”
“Why not?”
“Because the money isn’t what Dorsett is after. He’s got lots of that. He simply wants to squeeze Glidden so close that he’ll holler and quit. He’s bent on rooting out the plant entire. Then when he’s got Glidden down in the mud, he expects he’ll sell him his secret chemical process for a mere song.”
“The scoundrel!” exclaimed Ralph hotly.