The Kendrick gazette., 1920-11-26

his cigar proved that he understood.
Yet he dared not utter what he al
ready knew.
"Symington Otis il bearing the mar
ket" he said. his hands gripped tight
ly round the arms of his chair. HE
knows you're long on July wheat, too.
and" He checked himself, struck
by a sudden thought: "rm hanged u
you're not doing this to beat himi"
Fitzhugh's iron jaw tensed. IA
thinks I'm doing 1t alone. He'll fight
me for all he's worth. SO much the
worse for him."
Hunt gave full vent to his excite
ment: where's he going to get his
wheat7 That's what I want to know"
He showed back his chair, unable
longer to restrain himself. unable
longer to keep unvoiced the thing up
permOst In both their minds. 1--WE can
do It, Dan. we can do It'll Wen corner
the markell"
Daniel shook his head. 81 win cor
ner the market"
Hunt pounded his fist into his open
palm. "And smash OTIS" he cried.
exultantly. You owe him one. Dan.
Smash Otisw
"Smash Ohs7 Daniel laughed.
There was no mirth in the laughter.
Smash Otis. you sayf II Symington
Otis gets in my way Tll-crush him r.
And with a spasmodic movement his
dngers contracted. and from wrist to
shoulder beneath their tweed covering
the rppling muscles Of his arms stood
out in cords.
Otis was planning another of his
celebrated bear raids. He was re-
solved it should be the mightiest he
had ever led. He gathered in money
from every available source. Realiz-
Ing the market disfavored him. he was
determined to conquer it by sheer
force of capital.
His first onslaught. started In April.
made little II any impression, and he
redoubled his attack. Still the enemy
showed no sign of weakening. Again
and again he charged, but every rush
was met and repulsed. He was over
whelmed with buying orders. They
swamped him from every side. He
stopped, puzzled. He had not .ac-
counted his opponent half so power
ful. Otis. however. was not the hest
tant sort Of general Marshaling his
heavy artillery. he dashed upon the
battlefield, fighting with the implaca-
bility that from the beginning had
characterized his long career in fnan-
cial warfare. This charge, too. was
easily buffeted. But no white nag was
shown. Beating retreat, the grim
old warrior gathered his forces to
gether for a fresh onset. The next
clash, he decided. would be the decis-
I've one.
BY the middle of June Fitzhugh was
all but czar Of the pit.
When Fitzhugh formulated the pool
to corner July wheat it was understood
that. no matter what might arise. he
was to be free to follow the dictates Of
his own judgment. For this and other
reasons the names Of the Packingtown
millionaires were never disclosed. and
few knew the main fOunt Of his man.
moth resources.
His marvellous vitality gave contin-
ual wonder to his associates. He was
made Of iron. He would work eighteen
hours day, dispatching with sureness
and speed the thousand pressing duties
that crowded upon him. taking his
meals on the wing, and requiring of
the twenty-four but four or FIVE hours
for sleep. Most amazing Of all, he
displayed never an i'll sign of the red
hot tension under which he worked.
but seemed to thrive on it. He was al
ways fresh and eager for each days
tasks.
His last'battle with Symington Otis
was the most spectacular Of the final
trilogy. 1t began on the morning of
July first and lasted for three terrific
days. AS the gong sounded on that
hrst morning Fitzhugh appeared in the
pit, girded for the fray.
With the stroke Of the opening gong
Otis lieutenants began to sell wheat.
There were three Of them. with orders
to sell half million each. Then came
an unfathomable surprise: Fitzhugh
sold wheat Bushel for bushel. he sold
as fast as his adversaries.
The price reeled and dropped dig
ely. The preceding day it had closed
strong at one dollar; by eleven that
morning it was unsteady at ninety.six
and q half.
At the height Of the furious conflict,
Fitzhugh, who was the core of It, be-
came aware Of some one tearing at his
arm and yelling in his ear:
"Dan! Dan! Have you gone crazy 7"
BehOlding Hunt screaming at the
top Of his voice. he wrenched loose
from the mob surrounding him and.
SELLING his subordinate under the arm
pits. lifted him clear outside the pit.
At the close of the days session
wheat had dropped to ninety-four and
an eighth. where it swayed uncertain.
ly. Otis had sold two million bushels.
Fitzhugh had sold q like amount.
When he reached his Office Fitzhugh
found his three coadjutors waiting
him in omlnous silence.
"Good-day. gentlemen"