Part 29 (2/2)
”However, just to make your loan absolutely sure, I have taken steps to sell my season's output in advance. The commission men will be in town shortly, and I shall contract for the entire catch at a stipulated price.
Is that satisfactory?”
”Entirely so,” declared Mr. Hilliard, heartily. ”Go ahead and order your machinery and supplies.” As Boyd rose to go, he added, ”By the way, what do you know about the mineral possibilities of the region back of Kalvik?”
”Not much; the country is new. There is a--woman at Kalvik who has some men out prospecting.”
”Cherry Malotte?”
”Do you know her?” asked Boyd, with astonishment.
”Very well, indeed. I have had some correspondence with her quite recently.” Then, noting Boyd's evident curiosity, he went on: ”You see, I have made a number of mining investments in the North--entirely on my own account,” he hastened to explain. ”Of course, the bank could not do such a thing. My operations have turned out so well that I keep several men just to follow new strikes.”
”Has Miss Malotte made a strike?”
”Not exactly, but she has uncovered some promising copper prospects.”
”H'm! That is news to me. It is rather a small country, after all, isn't it?” He would have liked to ask the banker certain further questions, but resisted the temptation, and shortly after plunged into his work so vigorously that the subject faded wholly from his mind.
Now it was that George Balt made his importance felt. In the days which followed he and Boyd toiled early and late, for a thousand things needed doing at once. Promptness was, above all things, the essence of this enterprise, and the lumber merchants, coal dealers, machinery salesmen, and s.h.i.+p chandlers with whom they dealt vowed they never had met men who reached their decisions so quickly and labored not only with such consuming haste, but with such unerring certainty. There was no haggling over prices, no loss of time in seeking compet.i.tive bids; and because George always knew precisely what he wanted, their task of selection became comparatively easy. With every detail of the business he was familiar, from long experience. There was no piece of machinery that he did not know better than its makers. There was never any hesitancy as between rival types or loading down with superfluous gear. His main concern was for dates of delivery.
Three weeks pa.s.sed quickly in strenuous effort, and then one morning the partners awoke to the realization that there was little more for them to do. Orders were in, s.h.i.+pments had started. They had well-nigh completed the charter of a s.h.i.+p, and a sailing date had been set. There were numerous details yet to be arranged, but the enterprise was in motion, and what remained was simple. Despite their desperate hurry they had made no mistakes, and for this the credit lay largely with Big George.
Through it all Clyde had lent them enthusiastic if feeble a.s.sistance; and now that the strain was off, he gave fitting expression to his delight by getting drunk. Being temperamental to a degree, he craved company; and, knowing full well the opposition he would encounter from his friends, he annexed a bibulous following of loafers whose time hung heavy and who were at all times eager to applaud a loose tongue so long as it was accompanied by a loose purse. Toward midnight ”Fingerless” Fraser, cruising in a nocturnal search for adventure and profit, found him in a semi-maudlin state, descanting vaporously to his train; and, upon catching mention of the Kalvik fisheries, s.n.a.t.c.hed him homeward and put him to bed, after which he locked him into his room, threw the key over the transom, and stood guard outside until a.s.sured that he slept.
At an early hour the adventurer was peremptorily roused, to find Emerson hammering at his door in a fine fury.
”What is this?” demanded Boyd, through white lips, thrusting a morning paper before Fraser's sleepy eyes.
”It's a newspaper,” yawned the other--”a regular newspaper.”
”Where did this story come from?” With menacing finger Boyd indicated a front column, headed:
NEW ENEMY OF THE SALMON TRUST!
FIRST GUN FIRED IN BATTLE FOR FISHERIES!
N. A. P. A. PROMISED BITTER FIGHT FOR SUPREMACY OF ALASKAN WATERS!
”I don't know.”
”You don't know?”
”No; I never read anything but the 'Past Performances' and the funny page.
What does it say?”
”It is the whole story of our enterprise, but ridiculously garbled and exaggerated. It says I have headed a new canning company to buck the trust. It tells about George's feud with Marsh, and says we have both been secretly preparing to down him. Good Lord! It's liable to queer us with the bank and upset the whole deal.”
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