CHAPTER XXIV. A BOY SCOUT'S TRIUMPH.
"What's this you are telling me?" asked Mr. Curley, quickly. "Have youthe proof of what you claim with you, young man?"
Rob noticed that it was no longer "boy" with the gentleman; Hiram wasevidently climbing in the scales, and rapidly at that.
"Oh, yes, sir, I've got everything to show you; and my patent rightpapers are in the hotel safe ready to be turned over in case we can reacha bargain."
The gentleman looked hastily around him. There were representatives ofother makers of aeroplanes present who might endeavor to bid against himif only they knew he did not as yet have any positive agreement with theinventor of that successful stabilizer.
"Please say no more until we are in my office, Mr. Nelson," he remarked,softly; "and if you have the time now we might as well adjourn there.I'll ask a few of my people to accompany us, as well as this pilot whohas just given your little trick its first try out."
"I'll be glad to enter into a talk with you, Mr. Curley," declared Hiram;"but I must insist that my friends, who have come out to the Coast withme, be along."
He beckoned to Rob and Andy and Tubby, who immediately started to pushtheir way through the crowd to where Hiram and the gentleman with thewhite mustache stood.
"Certainly, it is only fair that you should have equal backing with us,"observed the gentleman, whose eyes twinkled with amusement now, as hebegan to grasp the situation, and realize that his company was up againsta boy who knew his rights, and was possessed of considerable businesssagacity, as well as inventive talent.
Accordingly they all headed for some buildings not a great ways off, andthus it came that presently the scouts found themselves behind closeddoors with Mr. Curley and a number of others.
The head of the manufacturing firm was frowning a trifle, Rob noticed,even if there were times when he allowed a trace of a smile to stealacross his face on glancing down at the figure of Hiram Nelson. Rob knewwhy this should be so, and he considered that it was only natural.
As a shrewd business man Mr. Curley realized that Hiram had been toosmart for them. Instead of announcing his presence immediately, andtaking what they chose to offer him for his clever device, the youngYankee inventor had hung around and waited for the climax to come. He hadheard the favorable report made by the bird-man, and of course that hadstrengthened his case.
The gentleman understood that this unfortunate happening was likely tocost them dearly, since the inventor, knowing the value of his patent,would be likely to hold out for a much larger sum.
"Now, if you will let me see some papers to prove your identity, Mr.Nelson, we will talk shop with you; and I might as well confess in thebeginning that if you are inclined to treat us fairly we can come toterms with you; but please consider that only one trial has been given toyour stabilizer; and it may, after all, be of less value than appears atthis moment."
Hiram needed no second invitation to get busy. He immediately unloaded amass of proof upon them to show he was all he claimed, and that he alsohad the papers connected with his patent.
"I am satisfied, so far as that goes," announced the gentleman, as thoughdesirous of arriving at the most important part of the whole proceedingsas soon as possible. "Now will you please state the very lowest cashprice you will accept to turn the patent over to this company?"
"Five thousand dollars, sir!" replied Hiram promptly.
Rob was watching the other's face. He saw something there that told himHiram had at least not exceeded the amount which would have been reckoneda price limit for the invention. Mr. Curley, however, was too good abusiness man to show any eagerness in the transaction, though there wascertainly a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as he seemed to considerthe offer.
"I am going to be frank with you, Mr. Nelson," he remarked, presently."The sum you mention, although somewhat larger than we had contemplatedpaying for an invention the value of which has still to be fully proved,is within the amount we could afford to risk in the hopes of getting areally dependable stabilizer. Now, if we agree to do business with you,would you consent to sign a paper here and now to turn over your patentright entirely to us on the receipt of the sum you mention, five thousanddollars?"
Hiram was holding his own remarkably well. He refused to show any signsof being overwhelmed by his great good fortune, and seemed to be capableof displaying his customary shrewd Yankee bargaining qualities.
"I'll agree to do it, Mr. Curley," he said deliberately, "if your companyalso makes the bargain so it can't be broken. It mustn't bind only me.Pay a certain sum in hand, and agree to give me the balance to-morrow,and I'll sign the paper you speak of, handing over the patent rightstransferred to you when the balance is put in my hands."
"That's strictly business acumen, Mr. Nelson," said the gentleman, nowsmiling broadly, for there was no longer any danger of a backdown, andthe wonderful little invention could not be taken away from them by somerival and wealthy company; "and with your permission, then, here is anagreement, in duplicate, with the amount left blank, which I will fill inaccording to your proposition; and if everything is agreeable, we willboth sign it in proper form."
A few minutes later the agreement, filled out as settled upon, was handedto Hiram to look over before signing. He immediately backed over to wherehis three comrades stood.
"I want you to go over it word for word with me, Rob, and if there's anysort of hitch or trap, tell me; though I don't expect to find that sortof thing, because I guess Mr. Curley is too straight a gentleman to tryand take advantage of a boy."
They weighed every sentence, and fortunately the agreement was verysimple, so it was easily understood.
"How about it, Rob?" asked Hiram, trying to control himself as best hecould, for he knew curious eyes were upon him, and he did not want any ofthe men to believe this was his first venture in the realm of finance,which in fact was the actual truth.
"It seems to be all right, Hiram, and I wouldn't hesitate to sign it,"the scout leader advised him. "If you want a witness allow me to put mysignature on it. I'll be proud to know that I've had something to do withyour first real success."
"Something to do!" echoed Hiram, with considerable emotion, "why, Rob,you've been my backbone up to now. Only for you I'd have made a botch ofthe hull thing. I owe you more'n I c'n ever tell."
He went back to where Mr. Curley was waiting, a little anxiously Rob saw,as if he feared Hiram might be overcome with greed, and attempt to boostthe price he had already named.
"I see you agree to give me a check for five hundred dollars right now,Mr. Curley," Hiram commenced, "to bind the bargain with. Well, I would betempted to say I didn't want you to do that, but I know it's a poor thingto refuse money in hand, and also that it fixes it so neither of us canback out. So I'll accept the sum, sir, and sign the agreement."
This he hastened to do, and Rob was called on to add his name as awitness; then other names were placed upon the agreement, as well as theduplicate which was to be given into the possession of Hiram as the otherparty.
When that check for five hundred dollars was placed in Hiram's hand hesmiled, and then coolly doubling it up, placed it carefully away in hispocketbook.
"That, for a beginning, isn't so bad, Mr. Curley," he said, as thegentleman was shaking hands cordially with him. "I'm meaning to use everycent of this money to advance several little schemes I've got started.Only for my need of cash to push them along mebbe you mightn't have gotthat stabilizer without a few bids from other companies; but you suretreated me white, Mr. Curley, and I wanted you to know I appreciate it."
Possibly Mr. Curley may have thought that Hiram had worked a pretty sharptrick on them in hanging around, and learning what they thought about hisinvention before disclosing his identity; but then certain things areallowable in business, and at least he had shown himself capable oflooking after his own interests.
"If any of your later ideas happen to be in line with our work, Mr.Nels
on," the head of the firm said, "I hope you will give us a look atthem before you approach any rival company. In one way it is a good thingfor an inventor to keep advancing with the firm who first patronized him,of course, granting that they will meet any price he may be offeredelsewhere."
"I guess I c'n promise you that, sir," said Hiram, who was very happy,and at that moment felt drawn toward the fine-looking gentleman who hadtreated him so splendidly.
So the four boys wended their way toward the gates of the Exposition.Hiram hardly knew whether he was walking on air or on ground. It seemedto him that his heels must be made of some magical rubber that kept pacewith his ecstasy of mind, for he came near dancing at times, much to theamusement of Rob.
"First thing for me to do, fellows," Hiram said, as they reached thehotel, "is to send a night letter to my folks telling 'em that I've gotthe coin. My maw she believed in me right along, but dad he's allers beenkinder skeptical, you know, and used to say I was spendin' heaps of moneyon foolishness. Guess he's due to change his tune after this, hey?"
Rob found that there had been a telegram for him that morning whichsomehow he had failed to receive before leaving for the Expositiongrounds. It was a night letter from Professor McEwen in answer to the onehe had sent, signed by the name of Professor Marsh, who was in charge ofthe exhibit.
In this communication, limited to fifty words, the Edinburgh scientisttried to express the deep satisfaction he felt because Rob and Andy hadsuccessfully filled his place, and handed over that precious packet tothe gentleman in charge, without any accident. He declared that he wouldremain until their return home, and that he hoped to be able to thankthem again most heartily.
The boys were a happy lot that evening. They attended a theater wherethere was an instructive show well worth seeing by all scouts. Indeed,Hiram seemed to have actually grown two inches since morning.
Of course his chums gloried in his success; so that the rest of theirstay at the City of the Great Exposition was likely to be one longpicnic, with not a single hovering cloud to mar their pleasure.