thousand shares myself," cried Dodge, "and though my money
is locked up just now I am so convinced about this mine that I will
manage to pay the call myself. Roughly speaking, there are one hundred
and fifty thousand shares to be underwritten at, say, three shillings
each."

"And who are the present holders?"

The barrister asked the question in the most unconcerned way imaginable,
yet upon the answer depended the whole success or otherwise of this
hitherto unproductive mission.

Mr. Dodge was manifestly anxious.

"I take it that we are talking with a definite view to business?" he
said.

The barrister hesitated. Even in the detection of a crime a man does not
care to tell a deliberate lie, and Dodge's attitude so far had been
candid enough. The Springbok Mine honestly looked to be a good
speculative investment, so he resolved to place the proposition before
one or two friends who dealt with similar matters, and who were fully
able to look after their own interests.

"Yes," he answered, "I am here for that purpose. If my principals like
this thing they will go in for it."

"Then here is the vendors' list," said Mr. Dodge, taking a foolscap
sheet from a drawer.

Claude perused it nonchalantly. His quick eyes took in each name and
address out of half-a-dozen, and rejected all as being in no way
connected with the man whose antecedents he was seeking.

Yet, where possible, he left nothing to chance.

"Have you any objection to a copy being made?" he asked.

Mr. Dodge hummed doubtfully.

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