River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-02-25
S NJ O K E
B E L L E w
By Jack London
By Jack London
tContinued from Page ~

q nan QedFJeQ way. say you 16lIOWS
can do me a great favor" he began
tentatively. "Sell me, or lend me, or
give me, about a dozen Of them eggs"
"Sure," Smoke answered. II know
what a yearning for eggs is myself
But we're not SO poor that we have to
sell our hospitality. They'll cost you
nothing. Go ahead, Shorty. Cook
them up for him."
But Wild Water laid a restraining
hand on the eager Shorty as he ex-
planned. Il don't mean cooked. want
them with the shells on"
$50 that you can carry 'em awayY
That's the idea"
'But that amt hospitality" Shorty
objected. "Its-it's tradin'."
I Smoke nodded concurrence. 'That's
different, Wild Water. ! thought you
just wanted to eat them. You see, we
went into this for a speculation"
The dangerous blue Of Wild Waters
eyes began to grow more dangerous.
'I'll pay you for them" he said sharp
". How much?"
"Oh, not a Dozen" Smoke replied.
1--WE couldn't sell a dozen. We're not
retailers; we're spectators. We can't
break our own market We've got a
hard and fast corner, and when we sell
out it's the whole corner or nothing"
How many have you got and how
much do you want for them?"
How many have we, Shorty?
Smoke inquired
Shorty cleared his throat and per
formed mental arithmetic aloud. Lem
me see. Nine hundred an seventy
three minus nine, that leaves nine hun
dred an siXty-two. An the whole
shootin match at SO throw will
tote up just about nine thousand six
hundred an twenty iron dollars. OF
course, Wild Water, we're playin' fair.
an it's money back for bad ones,
though they amt none. That's one
thing | never seen in the Klondike-a
bad egg"
Wild Water shook his head sadly and
helped himself to the beans. ''That
would be too expensive, Shorty. only
want a few. I'll give you $40 for a
couple of dozen. I'll give you 500, but
| can't buy 'em ALL"
''Ail or none." was Smokes ultima
tum.
Look here. you two" Wild Water
said in a burst of confidence. It'll be
perfectly honest with you, an don't let
it go any further. You know Miss Ar
raj an I was engaged. Well, she's
broken everything off. It's for her l
want them eggs. l want to give them
to her on a platter shirred. That's the
way she likes EN-"
do you want 'em ninety-six hundred
an twenty dollars worthY' Shorty
queried.
Jaw, listen to reason" Wild Water
pleaded. 81 only want n couple of
dozen. I'll give you 500 apiece for 'em.
What do / want with all the rest of
them eggs27
81 should say Miss Arrars worth the
price OF the eggs" Smoke put In
quietly.
Worth itT' Wild Water stood up in
the heat OF his eloquenee. ''She's worth
a million dollars. She's worth all the
dust in Klondike. But that amt no
call for me to gamble $4,000 on a
breakfast for her. Now. I've got a
proposition. Lend me a couple OF dozen
of them eggs. I'll turn 'em over to
Slavovitch. He'll feed 'em to her with
my compliments. She amt smiled to
me for a hundred years II them eggs
get smile for mo III take the whole
boiling or your hands"
xviii you sign q contract to that eff
fect?" Smoke said quickly, for he knew
that Lucille Arral had agreed to smile.
Wild Water gasped You're almighty
swift with business up here on the
HILL" he said, with hint of snarL
"We're only accepting your own
proposition" Smoke answered.
''All right: bring on the paper: make
it out hard and fast" Wild Water cried
in the anger of surrender.
CHAPTER Xxx.
Four Years Old.
- MOKE wrote the document,
- wherein Wild Water agreed to
~ take every egg delivered to him
at $40 per egg. provided that
the two dozen advanced to him
brought about a reconciliation with
Lucille ArraL
Wild Water paused with uplifted pen
as he was about to sign. Hold on"
he said when buy eggs buy good
eggs If find one bad egg you've got
to come back with the SO paid for
it"
THAT'S an right" Smoke placated.
''It's only fair
Smoke inserted the word "good'' IN
the contract. and Wild Water sullenly
signed, received the trial two dozen in
a tin pail, pulled on his mittens and
opened the door.
''Goodby. you robbers" be growled
back at them and slammed the door.
Smoke was witness to the play
next morning at Slavovitch's. He sat,
as Wild Waters guest, at the table adj