The Press., 1894-08-02
five.', Of they went; and a good deal of

five.', Of they went; and 8 good deal of stir they made that day among the flour and grocery men.
 They met at five, as per ageement
 "All right!" sung out Jaggles. "The bread stuffs are flying into the old Superior as if she had real appetite. Tell you what! Betwixt buying one day in advance in the New York market, and selling in that empty New Orleans market, it's the neatest thing of the season."
 "Yes," said Tom. stAnd did you by chance meet Squire Grigg your travels?"
 "Some, " answered the slangy speculator. "He has been flying about this burg after the manner of a bee in a bucket" And Mir. Jaggles laughed. Its unfortunate, but my charter party was signed about two minutes before he came into the steam- CT office. He offer ed me $50O0 for my bargain. Twas not at leisure to negotiate. He's got the Seq Dragon, though. he and Wickwire. But she can't finish discharg- ing before tomorrow or next day morn- ing" ''I met him up by the Corn exchange" ," quoth Tom, demurely. "He turned so red l think he can't have heard from Wickwire until one or two o'clock. Says he, Elliott, I'll pay you for using that news against me, you ungrateful rascal, as sure as Pm goose!' 1 told him should have stepped ronnd with the infor- nation, but had not time; and he grew too angry to say one other word. Let's go | and get some dinner"
 | And they went.
 It was four days later. The news had rung all over the North of that terrible glory of fire and blood through which our hr>r ho ,l I.e in tci,, nr,h back to it's place over New Orleans; and while it thrilled and palpitated in the arteries of New York, the sons of com merce tried with all their might to see the white gleam of dollars through the red glare of victory. But Elliott and Jaggles were before Grigg and Wickwire, and they of all the rest of the crowd of ship pers to the new port. With triumphant l swiftness the barrels and bales and boxes trundled down the wharves, ,and swung up over the lofty black sides of the Superior and the Seq Dragon, and disappeared in their great dark holds. The incessant labor of day and night gangs rapidly filled up the steamers; and now the time draws nigh for the SIperi0r's clearance to be granted by the scribes of the Customhouse and Jaggles is writing like lightning, as he always does, in his dreary shrine in Hanover Street. To him enter Thomas Elliott in blaze of unpleasant excite ment, scarce able to keep his feet on the floor for temper; all but dancing with dis | gust.
 Jag !" he sings out, "they've detained her on suspicion of contraband. Barney says he's sorry and believe he is. But he says that under the information he has, she must discharge cargo. It's ruin Jag gles. We're played out"
 At Elliott's first words the SpeculatoI sat bolt upright and stopped writing As Tom went on, his broad sallow forehead flushed faintly, his heavy eyebrows gath cred doom, his dull eyes grew brighter, and he replied,
 q perceived the hand of Joab in this thing. Grigg and Wickwire have done that" Then he paused moment, and added, "It certainly hurts us but we can save discharging, l think,
 He hastily explained his plan to Tom. In pursuance of it they both went to work like madmen; procuring strong indorse- ments from three eminent commanders who were influential politicians, just then in camp near by with their brigades, and knew the Collector. They also procured full lists of each separate purchase fol shipment; and 0 memorandum of the politics and misunderstanding of every seller. Armed with this formidable mass of documents, they spent parts of day and half with good-natured Collector Barney, and at last succeeded ill convinc- ing him how unreasonable was the accusa- tion that had wrought them so much woe. The clearance was granted; and, for vari- ous reasons, they spent no time in tracing out their slanderer. But when the lasts were cast loose, and the vast bulk of the Superior moved slowly away from the dock, the Seq Dragon had been rushing southward under full head of steam for about thirty hours. Jaggles insisted on going out as supercargo, and on leaving Tom as his deputy at home.
 It was four weeks and more before Tom heard a word about his venture. The let ter that Jaggles wrote is too characteristic not to be given in full besides, it con tains certain information about our story not elsewhere to be found: "NEw ORLEANS, May 30, 1862.
 "MK BoF-Not to confound figures of speecl with figures of arithmetic, see in the first place the sum-tOtals of the tnclOsed account=sales, as per which take notice that our speculation is grand success get most; but I'm oldest. vol get enough.
 ''Such larks! as J. Gargery hath it. Also re member the case of the unprncipled gentleman in the Psalm
 "'He digged pit, he digged it deep, | He digged it for his brother;
 | But for his sin he tumbled in
 Il The pit he made for t'other.'
 l 'Such, my nearer, was the little fate of oul brethren, Grgg and Wtckwire. All the voyage out groaned to think of their skimming the cream off that market. When you hauled up tt the levee spied gun-boats, 'darks,' Zouaves, se cesh, blue uniforms, all sorts of things except Seq Dragons. It can't be possible, said I, that she's discharged and gone! But not bit of it We were first cargo. And if it hadn't been fol that excessive ender-heartedness of mine, really don't know but should have sold the goods for their weight in specie. All the while I was gathering in the money was saying Whats become of the Se0 D,'agons for my heart was stirred within me. Well, after almost 8