The
NORAH CREINA she is, sixty-four tons--quite big enough
for our purpose since the rice is spoiled, and the
fastest thing of her tonnage out of San Francisco. For
a bonus of two hundred, and a monthly charter of three,
I have her for my own time; wages and provisions, say
four hundred more: a drop in the bucket. They began
firing the cargo out of her (she was part loaded) near
two hours ago; and about the same time John Smith got
the order for the stores. That's what I call
business."
"No doubt of that," said I; "but the other notion?"
"Well, here it is," said Jim. "You agree with me that
Bellairs was ready to go higher?"
"I saw where he was coming. "Yes--and why shouldn't
he?" said I. "Is that the line?"
"That's the line, Loudon Dodd," assented Jim. "If
Bellairs and his principal have any desire to go me
better, I'm their man."
A sudden thought, a sudden fear, shot into my mind.
What if I had been right? What if my childish
pleasantry had frightened the principal away, and thus
destroyed our chance? Shame closed my mouth; I began
instinctively a long course of reticence; and it was
without a word of my meeting with Bellairs, or my
discovery of the address in Mission Street, that I
continued the discussion.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260