“It’s too complicated to go into details over, Tom, but to make a long story short, he got me to invest nearly all my fortune in some enterprises that, I fear, are doomed to failure.  And if they do fail, I’ll be a ruined man.”

“No, you won’t!” exclaimed Tom.  “That’s one reason why I came here to-day.  Father told me to offer you all the ready money you needed to get out of your trouble.  How much do you need, Mr. Damon?”

“Bless my collar button!  That’s like your father, Tom,” and now Mr. Damon seemed more like his old self.  “Bless my shoes, a man never knows who his real friends are until trouble comes.  I can’t say how I thank you and your father, Tom.  But I’m not going to take advantage of him.”

“It wouldn’t be taking any advantage of him, Mr. Damon.  He has money lying idle, and he’d like to have you use it.”

“Well, Tom, I might use it, if I had only myself to think about.  But there’s no use in throwing good money after bad.  If I took yours now this fellow Peters would only get it, and that would be the last of it.”

“No, Tom, thank you and your father just the same, but I’ll try to weather the storm a bit longer myself.  Then, if I do go down I won’t drag anybody else with me.  I’ll hang on to the wreck a bit longer.  The storm may blow over, or—­or something may happen to this fellow Peters.”

“Has he really got you in his grip, Mr. Damon?”

“He has, and, to a certain extent, it’s my own fault.  I should have been suspicious of him.  And now, Tom, let me give you a further word of warning.  You heard me say to steer clear of this Peters?”

“Yes, and I’m going to.  But I’m going to make him pay for damaging my boat, if I possibly can.”

“Maybe it would be wiser not to try that, Tom.  I tell you he’s a tricky man.  And one thing more.  I have heard that this man Peters makes a specialty of organizing companies to take up new inventions.”

“Is that so?” asked Tom, interestedly.

“Yes, but that’s as far as it goes.  Peters gets the invention, and the man, out of whose brain it came, gets nothing.”

“In other words, he swindles them?”

“That’s it, Tom.  If not in one way, then in another.  He cheats them out of the profits of their inventions.  So I want to warn you to be on the lookout.”

“Don’t worry,” said Tom.  “Peters will get nothing from my father or me.  We’ll be on our guard.  Not that I think he will try it, but it’s just as well to be warned.  I didn’t like him from the moment he ran into me, and, now that I know what he has done to you, I like him still less.  He won’t get anything from me!”

“I’m glad to hear you say so, Tom.  I wish he’d gotten nothing out of me.”

“Are you sure you won’t let my father help you, financially, Mr. Damon?”

“No, Tom, at least not for the present.  I’m going to make another fight to hold on to my fortune.  If I find I can’t do it alone, then I’ll call on you.  I’m real glad you called.  Bless my shoestring!  I feel better now.”