The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-09-09


light cigar, then, extinguishlng the
match and depositing 1t carefully in
an ash tray, he settled himself com
fortably i'm his chair and said
"You all remember 1t was agreed in
the beginning l was to run this thing.
and l shall run 1t in my own way or
not at ALL"
"But confound It, man." exploded
Marsh. who had been holding his
tongue with difficulty, "what In the
name Of common sense do you mean
by seling?
"Who owns the most wheat-Sym.
ington Otis or us? How long will his
crowd last if they try to outsell us2
Don't you seeT
mot for a mnute!" broke in ALL
port. reddening under his collar.
"Tll make it clearer. Suppose Otis
crowd knocks July wheat off fifteen or
twenty points. Very well. Immedi-
ately they stop selling-perhaps be-
fore-Tll begin buying. Then, as an
| elastic band that has been stretched
to its utmost, July wheat will spring
back. It'll go to n dollar Itll so be
! yOnd q dollar. I'll see to that I"
1T does sound plausible" hesltated
Hunt, desIrous Of supporting his lead
er, yet still somewhat doubtful.
81 don't like It," said Marsh sourly.
"Mr. Otis" continued Daniel, and
there was a hard ring in his voice that
caused Hunt and Airport to exchange
meaning glances, thinks he has me on
the run. He's bOasting how he licked
me in today's skirmish, Of how |
turned tail at the first fire. But wait
till he springs my pitfall. Watt I've
got him I"
The discussion lasted until nearly
nightfall. BY grace of his power of
persuasion no less than by his dom-
nant personality and strength of pur-
pose, Fitzhugh finally induced the 9th
ers to admit that his course was the
best one. When they went out through
the quiet, brightly lighted offices, the
four were on very amiCable terms; and
the hot words of discussion that had
frequently passed between them were
quite forgotten.
in parting, 81 want to Impress upon
you three. When we have defeated
Otis, l want to deal with him in my
own way. Remember that"-loOking
keenly into each face. II want to deal
with Symington Otis In my own way.
Promptly next morning Otis re-
newed the combat. 1t occupied every
| %
on the preceding day, ragged with a tit
for-tat uproar. When the closing gong
sounded he had sold, altogether, over
four million bushels of July wheat
wheat of which he owned not a grain
but which he expected to buy later
and deliver as promised-at a lower
price than he had sold 1t for. And
the same as yesterday, his opponent
had sold with him. bushel for bushel.
Otis was flushed with the elatlon Ot
his obvious victory.
IT'S all over" he COnfided to 6
friend that evening, as he sat dOwT
smilingly to a well-ordered dinner. Otis
was living at his club these days, hi'
wife and daughter having gone abroad
for the summer. "All over but tn,
shouting. Tomorrow I'll finish him
He'll be snapped out of the Chicago
wheat pit like a gnat-just as l one,
, told him a long time ago"
simultaneously with the dawning 0
the third day of battle Otis took tn
aggressive. And simultaneously ther
came surprise. His promises o
wheat were gobbled up as fast as the
were offered. Buying orders poured il
from all sides, deluging his traders. II
increased his selling. The buying like
!, wise increased. He began to fight des
: perately, flooding the pit with his sell
ing commands. But it was as thOug
he poured sand in the ocean.
Fitzhugh had not appeared on tn
floor" since the first day. From hi
private office he sent orders to a doze
: or more brokers. All these order
' were, Buy July wheat" All were t
take effect this morning. He cable
his representatives In Liverpool an
Paris. These cablegrams also reaC
Buy July wheat" They, too, becam
effective this morning. Tn all, he is
sued instructions to purchase twelv
! million bushels, or approximate
| double the amount he had sold on tn
prior two days.
The market that morning wns like
. kite in a windstOrm. 1t zigzagge
crazily. Shortly, however, it steadiet
hung stationary an instant, the
bounded inward I'm tugging detel