"No," Warren struck in, "call it a great piece of news gone wrong. If I had my way it would be creeping down between column rules right now."
"Infamous!" cried the banker. "Don't you dare to print a word of it."
"Oh, I'd dare all right enough, if Lyman's modesty didn't forbid it."
"Then, sir, I must condemn your impudence, and commend Mr. Lyman's consideration."
"We are still beating the bush," Sawyer broke in.
"And no scared rabbit has run out," said Lyman.
"We might be after a wolf instead of a rabbit," Sawyer replied. The banker gave him a look of warning.
"Yes," said Lyman, "you might hunt a wolf and find a panther."
"I take that as a threat," the banker spoke up.
"Oh, not at all," Lyman replied. "It was merely to help carry out a figure of speech."