Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-04
Q3UKNlNG
StDAlLIGHT
. BIZ JACK LONDON
AasAoy of "71e CAL OF the VIA
"NIhite Fang" "A'arfi'
Eden" etc.
Illustrations BY Dearborn MelviA
easkaSt e 'asssEssa g.
SssEaass & D 4 - {
a,ysstssSSSI~
CHAPTER TX.

his two companions gazed with con-
tro,Ied nerturbation at Burning Day
light striding into the room. The free,
,,,.;ro ino movements Of the trail-trav-
a,er we're unconsciously exaggerated in
tbat stride Of his. In truth, 1t seemed
- him that he felt the trail beneath
his feet.
"Howdy, gentlemen, howdy," he re-
marked. ignoring the unnatural calm
with which they greeted his entrance
lie shook hands with them in turn,
striding from one to another and grip
ping their hands so heartily that Ma
thaniel I.etton could not forbear to
vince. Daylight flung himself into a
massive chair and sprawled lazily, with
an appearance of fatigue. The leather
grin he had brought into the room he
dropped carelessly beside him on the
floor.
1--we sure been going some," he sigh
ed. I'VE sure trimmed them beautifully.
1t was real slick. And the beauty OF the
play never dawned on me till the very
end. II was pure and simple knock
down and drag out. And the way they
fell for it was amazin'."
Letton made dry sound in his
throat. Dowsett sat quietly and wait
ed. while Leon Guggenhammer strug-
gled into articulation.
You certainly have raised Cain" he
said.
Daylights black eyes flashed in a
pleasant way.
Didn't I, thought he proclaimed,
jubilantly "And didn't We fool 'em!
/ was teetotally surprised. l never
dreamed they would be that easy.
And now" he went on, not permit
ting the pause to grow awkward. I'VE
all might as we'll have an accounting.
I'm pullin West this afternoon on
that blamed Twentieth Century" He
tugged al his grip. got it open, and dip.
ped into it with both his hands. But
don't forget, boys, when you-all want
me to hornswoggle Wall Street anoth.
er futtcr. all you-all have to do is
whisper the word. III sure be right
there with the goods"
His hands emerged. clutching
great mass OF stubs, check-books, and
brokors' receipts These he depos:.
tied in a heap on the big table, and
dipping again, he fished out the strag-
glers and added them to the pile. He
consulted a slip Of paper, drawn from
his coat pocket and read aloud:
Ten million twenty-seven thousand
and forty-two dollars and siNty-eight
cents is my Agurin' on my expense.
OF course that-alrs taken from the
winnings before wc-all get to figurin'
on the whack-up. Where's your fig
ures? II must a been mighty big
cleanup"
The three men looked their bepuZ-
element at one another. The man was
a bigger fool than they had imagin-
ed, or else he was playing a game
which hey could not divine.
Nathaniel LettoH moistened his lips
and spoke up.
ut will take some hours yet, Mr..
Harnish, before the full accounting can
be made. Mr. Howison is at work upon
il now. We-ah-as you say, it has
been a gratifying cleanup. Suppose
we have lunch together and talk it
over I'll nave the clerks work through
the noon hour SO that You will have
ample time to catch your train"
Dowsett and Guggenhammer mani
tested relief that was almost OBJ
yious. The situation was clearing. Il
was disconcerting. under the circum-
stances, to be pent in the same room
with this heavymuscled. lndian-!ike
man whom they had robbed. They re-
membered unpleasantly the many Stor
les Of his strength and reclicssness. II
lctton could only put him of long
enough for them TO escape into tie pc
Iced world outside the Office door. all
]. would be well; and Daylight showed
sss,ntsssstosigns of being put off.
I'm real glad to hear that" he said.
Il don't want TO miss that train. ana
you-all have done me proud. gentle
men, letting me in on this deal.
lust do appreciate it without being
able to express my feelings. But am
sure almighty curious, and Id like ter
rble TO know, Mr.. Letton, what your
figures Of our winning is. Can you-all
give ME a rough estimate?
Nathaniel Letton did not look an-
pealinSly at his two friends, but In the
brief pause they felt that appeal pass
out from him. Dowsett, of sterner
mold than the others. began to divine
that the Klondikcr was playing. But
the other two We're still under the
Establishment of his child-like inIo-
cence.
1T is eXtremely-er-difflc Leon
Guggenhammer began. You see, Ward
Valley mas fluctuated so, err
That no estimate can possibly be
made in advance" Letton supple
mented.
Approximate it, approximate it."
Daylight coumselled, cheerfuliy. 1T
don't hurt ii you-all are a million ont
one side or the other. The fisuros'li
straighten that up. But I'In>that curl.