Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER wi.

In no blaze of glory did Burning
Daylight descend upon San Francisco.
Not only had he been forgotten. but
the Klondike along with him. The
world was interested in other things,
and the Alaskan adventure, like the
Spanish War. was an old story. He set
tied down In st. Francis Hotel, was
interviewed by the cub-reporters on
the hotel-run, and received brief para
graphs OF notice for twentyfour
hours.
Several months passed In San Fran
cisco. during which time he studied
the game and its rules. and prepared
himself to take hand
firing Of being merely an oniooker,
he ran up to Nevada, where the new
gold-mining boom WIS fairly started
'just to try fiuttet," as he phrased
1t to himself The fiutter on the To-
nopah Stock Exchange lasted just ten
days. during which time his smash
ing. wild-bull game played ducks and
brakes with the more stereotyped
gamblers. and at the end OF which
time. having gambled Floridel into
his fist. he let go for a net profit OF
half million. Whereupon, smacking
his lips, he departed for San Fran.
cisco and the st. Francis Hotel II
tasted good. and his hunger for the
game became more acute
And once more the papers sensa
tionalized him. BURNING DAYLIGHT
was 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
Klondike. and Father OF the Sour,
coughs. strobe upon the breakfast Ia
BILE OF million homes along with the
toast and breakfast foods. Even be.
fore his elected time, he was forcibly
launched into the game. Financiers
and promoters. and all the f1otsam and
jetsam of the sea OF speculation
surged upon the shores of his eleven
millions. In seif-defence he was com.
PEELED to open Offices. He dabbled in
little things at first-"stalling for
time" as he explained 1t to Holds.
worthy. friend he had made at the
Alta-Pacific Club. Daylight himself
was a member OF the club. and Holds.
worthy had proposed him. And It was
well that Daylight played closely at
first. for he was astounded by the
multitudes OF sharks-"ground-sha =
he called them--that fiocked about
him. He saw through their schemes
readily enough. and even maryeled
that such numbers OF them could md
sufficient prey to keep them going
Their rascality and general dubious.
ness was so transparent that he could
not understand how any one could be
taken In by them.
So It was that he resolved to leave
the little men. the Holdsworthys
alone: and. while he 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-Pacific. for instance. He
merely did not elect to choose them
for partners in the big game in which
he 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
vesting In several arid-lands reclama
ton projects and keeping his eyes
open for the big chance when II
should come along
And then he met John Dowsett, the
great John Dowsett. II was the first
big magnate Daylight had met face to
face. and he was pleased and charmed
There was such kindly humanness
about the man. such genial demo
craticness. that Daylight found 1t hard
to realize that this was the John Dow
sett. president OF string of banks
Insurance manipulation. reputed ally OF
the lieutenants Of Standard Oil. and
known ally OF the Guggenhammers
Nor did his looks belle his reputation
and his manner. Physically, he guar
anteed all that Daylight knew OF him
Despite his sixty years and snow.
white hair. his hand-shake was firmly
hearty. and he showed no signs OF
decrepitude. walking with q quick
snappy step. making all movements
definitely and decisively
II was not long afterward that Day
light came on TO New York. A letter
from John Dowsett had been the
cause--a simple little typewriter let
ter Of several lines But Daylight
had thrilled as he read 1t. The bald
sentences seemed gorged with mys
terry Our Mr.. Howison will call up
on you at your hotel. He Ia to be
trusted We must not be seen to
gether You win understand after we
have had our talk Daylight conned
the words over and over. That was It
The big game had arrived. and Il
looked as II he were being invited to
sit In and take hand. Surely. for nc
other reason would one man SO peremp
torily invite another man to make q
journey across the continent
They met-thahks to our" Mr.
Howison--Ip the Hudson, In a mag