Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-02-09
CHAPTER VII.


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 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 hand.
Tiring of being merely an onlooker.
he ran up to Nevada. where the new
gold-mining boom was fairly started
'tust to try flutter." as he phrased
It 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 net profit of
half million. Whereupon. smacking
his lips, he departed for San Fran
cisco and the st. Francis Hotel. 1t
tasted good, and his hunger for the
game became more acute.
And once more the papers sensa-
uonalized him. BURNING DAYLIGHT
was big-letter headline again. In
terviewers fiocked about him. Old
ms
were searched through. and the ro-
mantle and historic Elam Harnish.
Adventurer of the Frost. King of the
Klondike. and Father of the Sour
doughs. strobe upon the breakfast ta-
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 fiotsam and
tetsam of the sea of speculation
surged upon the shores OF his eleven
millions. In self-defence he was COM
PEELED TO open Offices. lie dabbled in
little things at first-"stalling for
time" as he explained it to Holds
worthy. a friend he had made at the
Alta-Paciic Club. Daylight himself
was member of the club. and Holds.
worthy had proposed him. And ii was
well that Daylight played closely at
first, for he was astounded by the
multitudes of ground sharks"
he called them-that flocked about
him. lie saw through their schemes
readily enough, and even marveled
that such numbers OF them could find
sufficient prey to keep them going
ness was so transparent that he could
not understand how any one could be
taken in by them.
So 1t 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 1t. And in the
meantime he played small hands. in
vosting in several arid-lands reclama-
tion projects and keeping his eyes
open for the big chance when IT
should come along
And then he met John Dowsett, the
great John Dowsett 1t was the first
big magnate Daylight had met face to
face, and he was pleased and charmed
There was such a kindly humanness
about the man, such a genial demo
craticness. that Daylight found it hard
to realize that this was the John Dow
Bett, president of a 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 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 typewritten let
ter OF several lines. But Daylight