"It's too long a story to tell over the breakfast-table. What do you hear from Williams?"
"All quiet during the night; but the weather reports are scaring him up a good bit this morning."
"Storms on the range?"
"Yes. The river gained four feet last night, and there is flood water and drift coming down to beat the band. Just the same, Bartley says he is going to make good."
Smith nodded. "Bartley is all right; the right man in the right place. Have you seen the colonel since he left the offices last evening?"
"Yes. I drove him and Corona out to the ranch in my new car. He said he'd lost his roadster; somebody had sneaked in and borrowed it."
"I suppose he told you about the latest move—our move—in the stock-selling game?"
"No, he didn't; but Stillings did. You played it pretty fine, John; only I hope to gracious we won't have to redeem those options. It would bu'st our little inside crowd wide open to have to buy in all that stock at par."
Smith laughed. "'Sufficient unto the day,' Billy. It was the only way to block Stanton. It's neck or nothing with him now, and he has only one more string that he can pull."
"The railroad right-of-way deal?"