“Yes, I remember that,” said Tom.
“It’s good of you to stand by us,” said Dick, looking gratefully at his former school chums. “But now let us come to business and see just what can be done toward getting the Company out of this mess.”
The conference lasted until the middle of the afternoon and all sorts of ways and means were discussed to bridge over the difficulty. Fred Garrison came forward with an additional twenty thousand dollars and Songbird Powell offered another fifteen thousand dollars, and these two sums were tentatively accepted by Dick and his brothers.
In the midst of the talk four telegrams were received, two from their old school chums, George Granbury and Hans Mueller and the others from Stanley Browne and Spud Jackson who had been with them at Brill College. All of these men tendered their sincerest sympathy and each said he would help out if an endorsement of notes was needed.
“Well, that shows we’ve certainly got some friends!” said Sam, and his eyes grew misty as he read one telegram after another. “Good for George, Hans, Spud and Stanley!”
By a hard effort and a good deal of close figuring on the part of all of the older Rovers the Company managed to fix things so that the obligations amounting to about one hundred thousand dollars and falling due within the next two weeks would be met. But what could be done about the two hundred thousand coming due a month later was still a question.
“We’ll have to see some of the bank officials about that,” said Tom. “They ought to be able to tide us over, especially if we can get the right kind of endorsements for our notes.” Yet even as he spoke he knew that the prospects were not encouraging, for the money market was just then very tight.
The boys visited the offices and took a look around the premises. All of the clerks were once again at work and Jack and his cousins gazed at Ken Greene in anything but a friendly manner.
“If it hadn’t been for that puddin’head the Company would be all right,” whispered Fred to the others. “Just think of one clerk like that being able to put a company like this in the hole just because he forgot to do his duty!”
“It’s like the soldier who goes to sleep when he’s on guard,” put in Andy. “For two pins I’d like to give him the thrashing of his life!”