The Washington herald., 1910-11-13


that they cared. John Dowsett explained. Nor did
they object While in the dark regarding his In
tentions of thing they certain namely that
he was buling Ward Valley. And they did not mind
that No matter what happened to him and his
spectacular operations, Ward Valley all right
and would remain all right, as firm as the rock of
Gibraltar. No, they had no Ward Valley to SELL thank
you This purely fictitious state OF the market was
bound shortly 70 pass. and Ward Valley was not
20 be induced to change the even tenor Of its way
by any insane Stock Exchange furry 'It is purely
gambling from beginning to end" were Nathaniel
Lotions words; "and we refuse to have anything to
do with It 10 take notice OF It in any way"
During this time Daylight had several secret meet
ings with his partpers-one with John Hammer
smith. one with John Dowsett and two with Mr..
Howison Beyond congratulations they really
amounted to nothing; for. he informed, every
thing going satisfactorily.
But Tuesday morning n rumof that was dis
concerting came to Dayllghts ears 1t was also pub
lished in the Wall Street Express and Ii to the
effect on apparently straight inside information,
that on Thursday when the directors OF Ward Val
ley met instead Of the customary dividend being
declared an assessment would be levied. 1t the
first check Daylight had received. It TO him
with a shock that if the thing so he
a broken And IT also to him that all this
colossal operating Of his being done his own
money. Dowsett, Hammersmith and Letton
riskng nothing. 1t was a panic. short-lived 1t
true. but sharp enough while It lasted 90 make him
remember Hodsworthy and the brickyard and to
impel him 10 cancel all buying orders while he
rushed 10 a telephOne.
mersmth's throaty voice in the receiver "As you
know, said Nathaniel Letton, II one Of the d.
rectors and / should certainly be aware OF IL were
such action contemplated" And John Dowsett:-
81 warned yoU against just such rhmors There Is
not iOta Of truth in it-cerIainIy not l tell you
on my honor gentleman"
Heartily ashamed of himself for his temporary
loss OF nerve, Daylight returned to his task The
cessation Of buying had turned the Stock Exchange
into bedlam, and down all the line of stocks the
bears were smashing Ward Valley, the apex,
fha brTtDf foft Tho rboof a1.o
ginning 20 tumble. Daylight calmly doubled his
buying orders. And all through Tuesday and
Wednesday and Thursday morning be went buy
Ing, while Ward Valley rose triumphanty higher.
Still they sold and still be bought exceeding his power
10 buy many times over. when delivery was taken
into account What OF that? On this day the double
dividend would be declared, he assured himself The
pinch OF delivery would be the shorts. They would
be making terms with him.
And then the thunderbolt struck. True to the
NOR. Ward Valley levied the assessment. Daylight
threw up bis arms. He verified the report and quit
Not alone Ward Valley, but all securities being
hammered down by the triumphant bears AS for
Ward Valley, Daylight did not even trouble to learn
II it had fetched bottom or was still tumbling. Not
stunned not even bewildered while Wall street was
mad, Daylight withdrew from the field 10 think il
over. After short conference with bis brokers he
proceeded 10 his hotel the way picking up the
ing papers and glancng at the headlines Burning
Daylight Cleaned Out" he read Daylight Gets His
Another Westerner Fails to Find Easy Money" AS
he entered his hotel later edition announced the
Daylght's play. What in he'll did he want to kill
himself for?' was Dayllght's InUttered comment
He passed mp TO bis rooms ordered Martini cock
TAIL took of his shoes and sat down TO think. After
half an hour be reused himself take the drink and
as he felt the liquor pass warmingy through his
body his features relaxed into slow, deliberate, yet
genuine grin. He was laughing at himself.
"BuncGed, by gOsbt he muttere0.
Then the grin died away and his face grew bleak
and serious Leaving out his interests In the several
Western reclamation projects (which were still
sesslng heavily he a ruined man. But harder hit
than this was his pride. be had been easy They
had gOldbrcked him and he had nothing TO show for
it. The simplest farmer would have had documents,
while he had nothing but gentlemen's agreement,
and a verbal one at that GentlemeIS agreement
He snOrted over it. John DOwsetts voice, just as he
had heard it in the telephone receiver, sounded in his
the words 'On my honor as gentleman" They
were sneak thieves and swinders that was what
they were. and they had given him the double cross
The newspapers were right He had come to New
York to n trimmed, and Messrs. DOwsett Letton and
Hammersmith had done It. He a little fish and
they had played with him ten days-ampe time in
which TO swallow him along with his eleven millions.
OF course they had been unloading on him all the
time and now they were buying Ward Valley back for
a song ere the market righted itself Most probably
out of his share of The swag Nathaniel LetrOn would
erect couple of new mansions and John Hammer
smith would buy new engines for that yacht. or a
whole feet of yachts But what the devil Dowsett
would do with his whack beyond him-most
likely start another string Of banks
And Daylight sat and consumed cocktails and saw
years in which he had batted for his eleven millions
For while murder ate at his heart. and wild ideas
and Sketchy plans Of killing his betrayers flashed
through his mind. That what that young man
should have done, instead Of killing himself He
should have gone cunning. Daylight unlocked his
grip and took his automatic pistOl-a big Colts
Al He released the safety catch with his thumb
and operating the sliding outer barrel. the
tents of the clip through the mechanism The eight
cartridges slid out in stream. he rehlled the clip
threw a cartridge into the chamber, and, with the
trigger at full cock thrust up the safety ratchet He
showed the weapon into the side pocket of his coat
ordered another Martini and resumed his seat
He thought steadily for an hour but he grinned no
more. Lines formed in his face. and In those lines
were the travail Of the North the bite of the frost
all that be had achieved and suffered-the long un
ending weeks Of tTai the bleak tundra shore of Point
Barrow, the smashing Ice jams Of the Yukon. the
battles with animals and men, the lean dragged days
Of famine. the long months Of singing hell among the
mosquitoes of the KOyOkuk the toll of pick and
shovel the and mars OF packstrap and tumpline
the straight meat diet with the dogs aud all the long
procession Of twenty full years of toll and sweat and
eBdeavor.
at ten o'clock he arose and pored over the city
directory. Then he put his shoes, took cab and
departed into the night. Twice he changed cabs and
finally fetched up at the night Office of detective
agency. He superintended the thing himself laid
down money in advance in profuse quantities. selected
the six men he needed, and gave them their instruc