Williams news., 1922-03-17

ested, while passing the Embarcader, | warehouse, to note the presence O | fully a dozen Seedy-looking gentlemen | of undoubted Hebraic antecedents
 congregated in circle just outside tho warehouse door. There was an ail | of suppressed excitement about this group of Jews that aroused Mr. Glib ney's curiosity; so he decided to cross over and investigate, being of the opin
 ion that possibly one of their number had fallen in fit. He had once had an epileptic shipmate and was pecu.
 liarly expert in the handling of such
 cases.
 Now, if the greater portion of Mr.
 Gibney's eventful career had not been
 spent at sea, he would have known, by
 the red flag that fOated over the door
 that public auction was about to
 take place, and that the group of He
 brew gentlemen constituted an organf-
 zatiOn known as the Forty Thieves,
 whose business it was to dominate the
 bidding at all auctions, frighten off, or
 buy off, or outbid all competitors. and
 eventually gather unto themselves, at
 their own figures, all goods offered for
 sale.
 In the center of the group rsr. Gfb-
 ney noticed a tall, lanky individual.
 
 instructions in a low voice to his hencbmen. This individual, though MT. Gibney did not know it, was the King of the Forty Thieves. As Mir Gibney luffed into view the king eyed him with suspicion. Observing this, MT. Gibney threw out his magnificent chest, scowled at the king, and stepped into the warehouse for all the world as if he owned it.
 An oldish man with gjasses-the auctioneer-was seated on a box mak- ing figures in a notebook. Him MT. Gibney addressed.
 "What's all this here?' he inquired, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the group.
 'Tt's an old horse sale" replied the auctioneer. without looking up.
 MT. Gibney frightened. He glanced around for the stock in trade, but Ob- serving none concluded that the old horses would be led in. ore at a time, through a small door in the rear of the warehouse. Like most sailors. MT Gibney had a passion for horseback riding, and in a spirit of adventure he resolved to acquaint himself with the ins and outs of an old horse sale.
 "How much might a man have to give for one of the critters?" he asked. And are they worth a whoop after you get them?"
 Twenty-Five cents up," was the an- swer. "You go 1t blind at an old horse sale, as a rule. Perhaps you get some thing that's worthless, and then again you may get something that has heaps of value. and perhaps you only pay half dollar for it. It all depends on the bidding. I once sold an old horse to clap and he took 1t home and opened 1t up, and what dye suppose he found inside?'
 Bots replied MT. Gibney, who prided himself on being something of veterinarian, having spent a few months of his youth around a livery stable.
 "A million dollars in Confederate greenba cks," replied the auctioneer. "Of course they didn't have any value. but just suppose they'd been U. S.?'
 That's right" agreed MT. Gibney. | "I suppose the swab that owned the l horse starved 1t until the poor animal | fingered that all's grass that's green. | As the feller says, Truth is sometimes | stranger than fiction.' If you throw ! in a saddle and bridle cheap, might | be induced to invest in one of your old | horses, shipmate."
 The auctioneer glanced quickly at | MT. Gibney, but noticing that worthy's face free from guile, he burst out | laughing.
 My sea-faring friend" he said presently, when we use the term old | horse we use it figuratively. See all this freight stored here? Well, that's never been called for by the consign- ees, and after it's in the warehouse a year and isn't called for. we have an old horse sale and auction 1t off to the highest bidder. Savey?"
 MT. Gibney took refuge in a lie "Of course. I do. I was just kiddin' you. my hearty" (Here MT. Gibney's glance rested on two long heavy sugar pine boxes, or shipping cases. Their Joints at all four corners were cun- lingly dove-tailed and wfre-strapped.) T was a bit interested in them two )oxes, an seein' as this is free coun- ny, I thought I'd just step in an make bid on them" and with the words, Mr. Gibney walked over and busted himself in an inspection of the two .rates in question.
 The fact of the matter was that so was Mir Gibney at the exposition of his ignorance that he lesired to hide the confusion evident n his sun-tanned face. So he stopped 'ver the crates and pretended to be interested in them, haul ng and pushing them about and read ng the address of the consignee who