The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-15

vest. He goes to Dawson, becomes the
a met ds gsssn'n = o%m nfars N t & ca mlaan,as
III q vast mining deal. He returns e
aivilixation4
CHAPTER WI.
In NO blaze of glory did Burning
Daylight descend upon San Francisco
Not only had he been forgotten, but
the KIondike along with him, The
world raj Interested Ia other things
and the Alaskan adventure, like the
Spanish War. was an old story. He set
tied down Id St. Francis Hotel. was
interviewed BY the c~ub-reporters On
the hotel-run. and received brief para
graphs Of notice for twenty-four
hours.
Several months passed In San Fran
cisco, during which time he studied
the game and its rules, and prepared
himself to take a hand.
firing or being merely an oniooker,
he ran up to Nevada, where the new
gold-mining boom was fairly started
lust to try q flutter,' as be phrased
1t to himself, The fiutter on the To
nopan Stock Exchange lasted just ten
days, during which time bis smash
Ing, wild-bull game played ducks and
brakes with the more stereotyped
gamblers. and at the end Of which
time, having gambled F1oridel into
bis fist, he let 30 for o net profit Of
hair d million. Whereupon, smacking
hts lips, he departed for San Fran
ciscp and the st. Francis Hotel. X
tasted good, and his hunger for the
game became more acute.
And once more the papers sensa-
tionalized him. BURNING DAYLIGHT
was 4 big-letter headline again. In
reviewers fiocked about him. Old
files OF magazines and newspapers
were searched through. and the 70
mantle and historic Elan Harnish,
Adventurer OF the Frost, King Of the
KIondike, and Father OF the Sour
doughs, strobe upon the breakfast tn-
BILE Of 4 million homes along with the
toast and breakfast foods. Even be-
fore bis elected time, he was forcibly
launched into the game. Fnanciers
and promoters, and all the f3otsam and
Jetsam OF the sea OF speculation
surged upon the shores OF his eleven
millions. III self-defence be was com
PEELED TO open Offices. He dabbled In
little things at f~rst--staiIing for
time" AS he explained 1t to Holds.
worthy. q friend he had made at the
AltarPacific Club. Daylight himself
was q member Or the club. and Holds
worthy had proposed him. And 1t was
well that Daylight played closely at
first, for he was astounded BY the
rnultitudes Of sharks-ground-sharks,.
he called them-that focked about
him. He saw through their schemes
readily enough, and even marveled
that such numbers OF them could find
sufficient prey to keep them going.
Their rascality and general dubious
ness was 20 transparent that be could
not understand how any one could be
taken n by them.
So It was that he resolved to leave
the little men. the Holdsworthys,
alone and. while be met them In good
fellowship. he chummed with none.
and formed no deep friendships. He
did not dislike the little men, the men
Of the Alta-Paciic. for instance. He
merely did not elect to choose them
for partners IA the big game III which
ne intended to play What this big
game Was, even he did not know. He
was waiting to find It. And In the
meantime he played small hands, In
vesttng IN several arid-lands reclama-
ton projects and keeping his eyes
open for the big chance when 1t
should ON along.
And then be met John Dowsett. the
great John DOwsett. 1t was the first
hig magnate Daylight had met face to
lace, and he was pleased and charmed.
There was such d kindly humanness
about the man, such d genial demo-
~craticnesa. that Daylight found It hard
\ realize that this was the John Dow.
sett, president of III string Of banks,
insurance manipulator. reputed ally Of
the lientenants of Standard on. and
known ally 0f the Guggenhammers.
Nor didshis looks belle his reputation
and his manner. Physically, be guar
auteed all TINT DAYLIGHT knew of hin.