Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-06-21

FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
pOITNDS IN COLD.

POUNDS In GOLD.
The little red bearded man had gone
slamming the door noisily behind him
Shelf mopped his large White race
with a scented pocket handkerchief
DO you think" ne said n~ervously, dc
you think we may trust him?'
ITO begin with, we've got TO know
whether we like it or not. He's moth
ing to gain by playing traitor
But would he betray us In case OF
success?
Perhaps" said Cambel, che won't
have the chance. Other hands on that
steamer VIII have TO share the secret IN
whole or in part. Perhaps they won
all Of them come through 1t alive, II
you remember that we are plotting de-
liberate piracy on the high seas, you
will recognize that there is precedent
for a considerable percentage Of casu-
alities.
he city man shuddered. Through
the double windows came the sullen
rear OF q London street, and in imagi-
nation he seemed to distinguish the
howl of the crowd Joined in e~Xecration
against him.
His eye fell upon a paper on the
desk. 1t was the formal notice from
her bankers that his wife's account
was heavily overdraWn. He lifted the
paper and tore it with his teeth, then
smote the table so that geySers flew
from the ink wells. But his passion
found no outlet in words. He spoke in
his platform voice and said nothing
about the prime compelling force.
I'VE will not talk Of these unpleasant
details, If you please, Mr.. Cambel. /
my heart is weak, l think, and they
turn me sick. But, at whatever cost,
we must go through with the affair. 1t
Is necessary that l make a heavy coup
within the next month, or the conse
quences may be DISASTROUS
"Marmaduke Rivers G. Shelf will go
down? Quite so. l also am at the end
of my cash balance, so that money
seems to be the impelling power for
zach Of us. And, after all, l suppose
It's natural. Out of fiction men don't
gamble with their necks for the sheer
amusement of the thing. They either
do 1t for the love of place, or the love
Of woman or the love OF gold, and Of
the three the last is the best prize to
win, a with IL you can buy the
others. But come, now, wake up, sir,
and let's get on with the business. I'm
hot SO sweet On this city atmosphere of
yours that | care to spend another
morning down here If it can be avoided.
How are you going to raise the specie? p
I'll proceed about it at once" said
Shelf, pressing another OF the buttons
on his desk. You may as well wit
ness every step Of the process"
In answer to the bell Fairfax came
INTO the room, nodded rather stiffly to
Cambel and turne to Shelf with an
expectant Yes, sir"
In terse businesslike phrases his
principal touched upon the silver crisis
In America and the gold famine in the
southern states. Then he explained
the external view OF his projected en-
terprise. THE Port Edes," he said, lis
In the Herculaneum dock, returned on
hands today. Wire Liverpool at
once asking for freights to Norfolk, Va,
Pensacola, Fla; Mobile, Ala; or New
Orleans at lowest rates. New Orleans
Is her ina port, and offer that at Is
per cent. less. Captain Owen Kettle
will be in command, and he sails in -four
days from now.
When you nave deputed your clerks
to do this, go yourself to the bank and
negotiate for half a million in gold to
be delivered on board the Port Edes
in dock. The insurance policy on the
money will be deposited with the bank
70 secure them in full for the loan it
self, and for their other charges the
credit of the house will easily suffice.
That cieer?"
Perfectly said Fairfax, but / should
like to remind o Of one thing-wharf
thefts at New Orleans are notorious,
and you'll have to pay heavily to in
sure against them"
II know, more heavily than for risks
across the ocean and the run of the
river. Underwriters are justly
about those all nation thieves. But in
this instance I propose to save myself
that fee and insure In a different way.
Mr.. Cambel is going out on the Port
Edes expressly as my representative,
and l fancy that he and the captain
together will be capable of seeing to
safe delivery. The ships arrival will be
reported by telegraph from the pass at
Mississippi mouth, and my New
Orleans agent can calculate her ap-
pearance alongside the levee to a quar-
ter of an hour. He will meet her with
vehicles and a strong escort of deputy
sheriffs as she brings in to her berth
and take the specie boxes off by the
first gangway which is put ashore, and
carry them straight to a bank. Does
this strike 70 as a sound course?"
Yes" said Fairfax t~houghfully. %
see no undue risks. BY the way, as the
Port Edes Is merely a cargo tramp
and doesn't hold certificate for passen-
, gers, I'm afraid the board Of trade
wouldn't let Mr.. Cambel travel by hel
simply as the firms representative
But that could be easily overcome"
oh said Cambel, I'll sign on ar.
ticles in the usual way as one of the
ships ~company-as fourth mate, say
or doctor with salary OF a shilling fol
the run. 'Tisn't the first time tina
pleasing fiction has been palmed upor
o. shipping master. 1t doesn't deceive
any one, you know, because the rate o.
wages gives one ava at the outset
nal shipping laws are obeyed, and S,
mel Shipping laws are obeyed, and S,
everybody's pleased"
Fairfax laughed and went into tn,
offices, and Patrick Cambel turned I,
the shipowner WITH a couple of ques
tions. "tTo begin WITH" he said. "wh,
did you offer freight to Norfolk an
Pensacola and Mobile and those places
If you all in there, the natural thin,
would be to get the specie ashore an
express II by railroad direct to New
Orleans. If you miss that chance am
start carrying 1t round by sea, tn
thing looks fishy at once , Now. fish
ness is an aspect which we can't af
ford In the very least degree. TIL
swindle will cali up quite enough sen
sation in It's most honest n straight
forward dress"
MY dear Mr.. Cambel, please give m
credit for a little more fincsse. / &c
the objection to intermediate ports a
much as you do, but / merely mention
ed them to Fairfax as a blind. To be
gin with. Ii is a hundred TO one chanc
against our getting any cargo consign
ed to them at this season of the yea
at all. even If we offered TO carry 1
gratis, In the second place, IL 1t wa
offered 1 could easily get out of it |
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