Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-09-14

Gut that was Il risky thing to do.
You took your life in your hands, you
know?'
II suppose / did, but that's small
matter. There were twenty other lives
in danger And what is one mans life
when there is Il duty to be dope?
We've all got to die some tlmo" y.
Captain Hallam did not utter the
thought that was in him. That thought
was:
"Well. of all the queer men l have
ever had to deal with you are certain
ly the queerest. Still, l think 1 under
stand you, and that's Queerer STILL
"What 10 you want, Duncan, for last
nights work.
Duncan looked at his companion for
half a minute before answering. Then
he said:
81 want that tug captain of yours
discharged.
"Nhy?'
Because he's coward and an ut
terly unfit man. Human life may de-
pend upon his courage at any mo-
meat, ard he has no courage"
'"Is that all You want?"
Eyes. That's all"
"Why don't you demand an increase
in your salary? Anybody else would.
But perhaps you don't care for q big
ger salary. You're queer sort, you
know"
"Oh, yes. I care very much for an
Increase" answered Duncan.
''Then why didn't you seize upon the
opportunity to ask for it?'
Must | tell sou frankly"
81 wish YOU would. 1t might help me
to understand you
"Well, it is simple enough. You gave
me employment when l was desperate
" in need Of it. | should be an in
crate if l did not consider your inter-
ests in all that l do. l think l ought
to have larger salary than you are
now paying me. l think l earn it, and
ii has been my purpose to ask for it
when the proper time should come
Then why haven't you been in
hurry to ask for !. now? There couldn't
be a better time"
"I'ardon me, but l cannot agree with
you. 1t so happens that just at this
moment have several very important
matters of yours in my charge. You
have intrusted them to me, and they
have come so exclusively under my
control that nobody else, not even you,
could conduct them to successful
issue so we'll as | can. Under such
circumstances, of course, cannot make
any personal demand upon you without
IL lecency. To do 50 would be to take
advantage of your necessities. 1t would
amount to threat that if you refused
NY demands / would abandon these en-
terprises and leave you to get out or all
their difficulties as best you could.
Don't you see Captain Hallam, that
under such circumstances l simply
could not make demand upon you for
more salary or for anything else OF
pers0 nal advantage to myselfW
NO. | don't see 1T at all, and yet
somehow l seem to understand you.
If were in your place I'd regard these
circumstances as trump cards, and I'd
lead them for all they are worth. SO
would any other man in the Mississippi
valley or anywhere else, think"
"That Iay perhaps be so, and sup
pose am queer as you say. But to
ne it would seem a despicable thing to
take advantage of the fact that you
need ne in these affairs of yours. You
have hidden me be frank. / Will be so.
When | cane to Cairo I sought work
of the hard physical kind at the small
wages that such work commands. You
quickly gave me better work and lar
ger pay than I had expected to earn
for months to come. Little by little
Won have advanced me in your regard
until now | seem to enjoy your con-
fidence. When you first brought me
into contact with the big men OF af-
fairs - more or less big i was OPP
pressed with an exaggerated sense OF
their greatness. Presently discovered
that, while you are always deferential
toward them you are distinctly their
superior in intellect and in your grasp
of affairs. You allow them to think
that they are your masters, while in
fact you never fail to have your way,
and to compel them and the many mil
lions of other peoples money whose
use they control to your own pur-
poses"
At this point Hallam uttered low
chuckle.
"a little later l discovered Mother
fact" continued Duncan. ut slowly
1ayned upon my mind that you put
,ne forward in your conferences with
them because you valued my sugges-
fions and my initiative more than you
did theirs. Thinking of that, l came
at last to the conclusion that must
in fact, be superior to these men IN
those qualities that originate, execute
achieve; otherwise, with your genius
for affairs, you would have suppressed
me and listened to them"
Again Hallam chuckled.