McKettrick purred and smiled. "Exactly," he said. "Now, my advice to you is not to fight the thing. You can't deny the blunder and you'll save cost of litigation."
"What's your proposition?"
"Transfer your stock to the Seaboard."
"And lose a hunderd and two thousand?"
"It's not our fault if you make expensive mistakes."
"Course not," said Scattergood. "I admit I hain't much on litigation. S'posin' you and me meets in Boston to-morrow with our lawyers, and sort of figger this thing out."
"There's nothing to figure out—but I'll meet you to-morrow. You're sensible to settle."
"Calc'late I be," said Scattergood.
That afternoon Johnnie Bones carried President Castle's 49 per cent of the railroad's stock to the G. & B. offices, and gave them into the hands of the railroad's chief executive.
"Mr. Baines will be here to-morrow. There will be a meeting at his hotel at three o'clock. McKettrick will be there."