Digital heart book

But by this time our idea
had gone abroad. I could hear the word "opium" pass
from mouth to mouth, and by the looks directed at us I
could see we were supposed to have some private
information. And here an incident occurred highly
typical of San Francisco. Close at my back there had
stood for some time a stout middle-aged gentleman, with
pleasant eyes, hair pleasantly grizzled, and a ruddy
pleasing face. All of a sudden he appeared as a third
competitor, skied the FLYING SCUD with four fat
bids of a thousand dollars each, and then as suddenly
fled the field, remaining thenceforth (as before) a
silent, interested spectator.
Ever since Mr. Longhurst's useless intervention
Bellairs had seemed uneasy, and at this new attack he
began (in his turn) to scribble a note between the
bids. I imagined, naturally enough, that it would go
to Captain Trent; but when it was done, and the writer
turned and looked behind him in the crowd, to my
unspeakable amazement he did not seem to remark the
captain's presence.
"Messenger boy, messenger boy!" I heard him say.


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