Jim was gone in a
moment; Trent had vanished even earlier; only Bellairs
remained, exchanging insults with the auctioneer; and,
behold! as I pushed my way out of the exchange, who
should run full tilt into my arms but the messenger
boy!
It was by so near a margin that we became the owners of
the FLYING SCUD.
CHAPTER X
IN WHICH THE CREW VANISH
AT the door of the exchange I found myself along-side
of the short middle-aged gentleman who had made an
appearance, so vigorous and so brief, in the great
battle.
"Congratulate you, Mr. Dodd," he said. "You and your
friend stuck to your guns nobly."
"No thanks to you, sir," I replied, "running us up a
thousand at a time, and tempting all the speculators in
San Francisco to come and have a try."
"O, that was temporary insanity," said he; "and I thank
the higher powers I am still a free man. Walking this
way, Mr. Dodd? I'll walk along with you. It's pleasant
for an old fogey like myself to see the young bloods in
the ring; I've done some pretty wild gambles in my time
in this very city, when it was a smaller place and I
was a younger man.
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