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

Yet he dared not utter what he al
ready knew.
"Symington Otis Is 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: I'm hanged If
you're not doing this to beat him"
Fitzhugh's iron jaw tensed. "He
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
wheat2 That's what I want to know"
He showed back his chair, unable
longer to restrain himself, unable
longer to keep unvOlced the thing up
permost in both their minds. I'VE can
do it, Dan, we can do 1T Wen corner
the market" ("
Daniel shook his head 81 will cor
ner the market"
Hunt pounded his fist into his open
palm. "And smash Otis" he cried,
eXultantly. you owe him one Dan.
Smash Otis !"
"Smash Otis?" Daniel laughed.
There was no mirth I'm the laughter
"Smash Otis, you say? If SymingtOn
Otis gets in my way Tll-Crush him J"
And with a spasmodic movement his
fingers contracted. and from wrist to
shoulder beneath their tweed covering
the ripping muscles Of his arms stood
out I'm cords.
Otis was planning another Of his
celebrated bear raids. He was re-
solved 1t 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 If 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
full. Otis, however, was not the hesi-
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 tinan-
cial warfare. This charge, too. was
! easily bufreted. But no white flag was
shown. Beating a 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 l7itzhugh formulated the poo
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 Packingtowr
milliOnaires were never disclosed, anC
few knew the main fOunt of his nam
moth resources.
His marvellous vitality gave contin
ual wonder to his associates, He was
made of iron. He would work eighteeI
hours a day, dlspatching with surenes!
and speed the thousand pressing duties
that crowded upon him, taking hi
meals on the wing, and requiring o
the twenty-four but four or five hours
for sleep. Most amazing of all, h,
displayed never an Ill sign of the red
hot tension under which he worked
but seemed to thrive on 1t. He was al
ways fresh and eager for each day.
tasks.
His last battle with SymingtOn Oti
was the most spectacular of the tina
trilogy. 1t began on the morning o
July first and lasted for three territ
days. AS the gong sounded on tina
first morning Fitzhugh appeared in tn
pit, girded for the fray.
With the stroke of the opening gOn
Otis lieutenants began to sell wheat
There were three of them, with order
to sell half a million each. Then cam
an unfathomable surprise: Fitzhugl
sold wheat Bushel for bushel, he sol,
as fast as his adversaries.
The price reeled and dropped dl2
zily. The preceding day it had clOse
strong at one dollar; by eleven tina
morning it was unsteady at ninety-sl
and half
At the height Of the furious conflict
Fitzhugh, who was the core of It, be
came aware Of some one tearing at hi
arm and yelling in his ear: