"I agree with you, Mr. Larabee. He must be stopped. But does he know of this time limit?"
"He might. I wouldn't take any chances. He's fooled me more than once. Don't take any chances, Black."
"I won't. If he has any papers to file inside the time limit, he won't be allowed to do so. We'll take some means to stop him. Wait, I'll call one of my men who--er--who attends to all these little matters for me. Jake, here, I want you!"
From an outer room came a man with a hard face, and a jaw like that of a prize fighter. He had little, shifty eyes that seemed never to look one in the face.
"Jake this is Mr. Larabee," went on Mr. Black. "This is Jake Morton," to Uncle Ezra. "He'll see that your foolish nephew doesn't do anything rash."
"It--er--it may cost something, Mr. Larabee."
"Cost something?" and Uncle Ezra clapped his hand on his pocket. "Not much, I hope!"
"Well, of course your nephew has started off in an auto, I believe you mentioned that."
"Yes, in a great big touring car like a steam coach--him and two other spendthrifts. Oh, the money they waste!" and Uncle Ezra shook his head.
"Well, if they're in an auto, I presume they'll have to be followed in an auto," went on Mr. Black, "and auto hire costs money."
"Couldn't--couldn't they be followed on a bicycle?" asked the crabbed old man. "I wouldn't mind buying a second-hand bicycle for your man, and he could follow them on that. Bicycle riding is healthy."
"Say, if you expect me to trail along after a touring car on a bicycle--and a second-hand one at that--you can get some one else to do this job!" exclaimed Jake Morton. "I'm done! What! Maybe chase half way to San Francisco on an old wheel? I guess not."
"Wa'al, maybe I could stand a new one," whined Uncle Ezra.
"No, nor a new one, either. It's a touring car for me, or nothing!"
"Oh, the sinful waste of money!" exclaimed Mr. Larabee. "The awful waste!"
"You'd much better spend a few dollars to hire a touring car for my clerk than to lose all this money," said Mr. Black. "And, mind you, if your nephew files that paper it may result in a lawsuit, which would be very expensive, and, at the same time might go against you."
"Well, then, if you think it wise, perhaps I'd better. I don't want to lose this money I've worked so hard for."