The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-07-15
CHAPTER XIII.

C7AF FIX \IlIs
Selling his long line Of spring and
summer wheat, Fitzhugh bought three
million bushels of the September OBJ
ttiOn. He was now become known as
lthe greatest of the bulls. Every big
buying order was laid to him. His
appearances in the pit grew more in
frequent. He distributed his COM
imands among six or seven different
brokers. Crops were universally bad.
The United States had not yet felt
1.-THE European demand, but it would
lcOme soon. and he knew it would be
heavy He knew wheat would rise
istill higher. and he gradually increased
thiS holdings In September to six mil
llon bushels.
Then came the cry from European
insistent cry-the cry for bread. He
received a cOde-cable from his agent
bin Liverpool: "Can negotiate five mil
ilIOn wheat. Name price"
He sold his six millions at an ad-
vance of twenty cents a bushel, and in
lone vast swOop bought In eight mil
nlOn bushels of July. And Hunt so far
forgot his pledge as to demonstrate.
aren't you forcing your luck, Dan?
pr. seems to me"
"And 1t seems to me-" cut In the
-'plunger," looking up from the work
ion his desk, that I know just what
five cents. It'll go up to a dollar be
fore July
'But what If it doesn't?"
''But it Will It'll go to a dollar If
p send it to a dollar And I'll send it
ito a dollar. And them
'Huh!'' Hunt started you don't
mean-"
! Never mind. I'll tell you later"
he told him then, however; had so
INTENDED doing when he entered his
office that morning. It was quite the
biggest thing thus far in his career,
lapd Of late he had worked on 1t,
quietly. indefatigabiy, vouchsafing
Hunt, because he was not for a while
sure Of it, hardly more than hint of
what he was planning. He had sta
tioned correspondents in all the Euro
pean markets. He had held many Sc
tcret conferences with two Packing
town millIonaires. big gamblers both,
.
, this morning, the thing which had
been building these months past was
lno longer nebulous to his vision. It
stood forth wildly. nakedly. complete
land beautiful in every detail.
To-day" said he. leaning across the
tdat-topped desk and regarding his
lauditor dxedly. you and 1 own, and 1
control. approximately eight million
bushels OF July wheat. Within two
months 1 shall control fifteen million
bushels. By July / expect to control
over forty million bushels"
''But, Dan! How the dickens"
MARSH and Airport are In the pool ~
Hunt subsidized, noddlng understand
lingiy.
you've seen the harvesting returns,
Hunt? You know Americas crops are
Igoing to be small. Same in Europe
French crops are poor; Germany's
IwOrse. Argentine's will be the small.
lest for the last ten years. Europe will
have to look TO America for her wheat
But America won't be able to give II
to her. ThereHI be mighty little wheat
In Chicago by July; and that little will
be locked tight in my pool. Do you
begin to understand
The way Hunt chewed and pulled al
his cigar proved that he understood
Yet he dared not utter what he al
READY knew.
"Symington Otis is bearing the mar
lket," he said, his hands gripped tight
- lily round the arms Of his chair. "He
knows you're long on July wheat. too
and" He checked himself, STRUCK
by a sudden thought: I'm hanged Il
you're not doing this to beat him !"
Fitzhugh's iron jaw tensed. "Ha
thinks I'm doing 1t alone. He'll figh
me for all he's worth. So much tn,
worse for him."
Hunt gave full vent to his excite
ment: where's he going to get hi
!wheat7 That's what want to know.
He showed back his chair, unabl
longer to restrain himself, unabI
longer to keep unvoiced the thing W
permost in beth their minds. 'sWe cal
do it, Dan, we can do It! Wen corne
the market :"
Daniel shook bis head. 81 win col
Aer the market"
Hunt pounded his fist into his ope
palm. land smash Otis ~ he crfeG
exultantly. You owe him one. Dar
Smash Otis 70
"Smash oHs7" Daniel laughe.