“That bluff didn’t work, I see, and Edgar Vyce is in jail,” he said gloomily.
“I see he is. I took him for a cleverer man than that,” replied Carrington, with a muttered curse. “However, we’ve got to get him clear somehow, or he’s liable to blab, which would never do at all.”
“I should say not. It would simply ruin us.”
“It would for a fact. We would have to get out of business here for good and all. I’ll see the leader of my district to-night.”
“It looks as though we’ll have to throw up our hands, anyway, Sid,” said Palmer, with a moody glance at the decorated ceiling.
“Throw up nothing!” growled Carrington, with an impatient wave of his right hand, on the little finger of which glowed a valuable ruby ring.
“It’s easy to say that,” returned Abe, “but I don’t see any chance of a turn. The pool is six million bushels short, and the market remains as stiff as a poker.”
“Suppose it is. How can we tell but that this infernal young monkey, Vance Thornton, may be at the end of his tether also? It has taken an enormous amount of money for him to swing this deal. What I want to know is where did he get it?”
“That is what has bothered us right along. With all our sagacity and our pet spy system we have not been able to find out.”
“No, we haven’t. Who would ever have supposed that boy would turn out such a hard proposition?”