"It struck me so," agreed Enoch.
"Do you think that he had anything to do with the publishing of that canard about you, Huntingdon?"
"I would not be surprised if he had. If I find that he was mixed up in it, Mr. President, I shall have to punish him as well as Brown."
"Horsewhipping is what Brown deserves," growled the President.
"Huntingdon, why are they after Cheney?"
"I've told him to find out," replied Enoch. "I want him to put himself in the position of being able to give them the lie direct, and then resign."
"Who is after him?"
"I believe, if we can probe far enough, we'll find this same Mexican controversy at the bottom of it. Cheney has been immensely interested in the fuel problem. He's given signal help to the Bureau of Mines."
The telephone rang, and the President answered it. He returned to his arm-chair shortly, with a curious smile on his face.
"Secretary Fowler wants to see me. I did not tell him that you are calling. As far as he has informed me, you and he are still on a friendly basis. He will be along shortly, and I shall be keenly interested in observing the meeting."
Enoch smoked his cigar in silence for some moments before he said, with a chuckle: