the pit-第57部分

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ments。。。。　　What；　going；　Scannel？　　Well；　good…by　to　you；　sir；　and　hey！〃　he　called　after　him；　〃please　don't　slam　the　door　as　you　go　out。〃

But　he　dodged　with　a　defensive　gesture　as　the　pane　of　glass　almost　leaped　from　its　casing；　as　Scannel　stormed　across　the　threshold。

Jadwin　turned　to　Hargus；　with　a　solemn　wink。

〃He　did　slam　it　after　all；　didn't　he？〃

The　old　fellow；　however；　sat　fingering　the　two　checks　in　silence。　　Then　he　looked　up　at　Jadwin；　scared　and　trembling。

〃II　don't　know；〃　he　murmured；　feebly。　　〃I　am　a　very　old　man。　　Thisthis　is　a　great　deal　of　money；　sir。　　I　I　can't　say；　II　don't　know。　　I'm　an　old　man　。。。　an　old　man。〃

〃You　won't　lose　'em；　now？〃

〃No；　no。　　I'll　deposit　them　at　once　in　the　Illinois　Trust。　　I　shall　askI　should　like〃

〃I'll　send　a　clerk　with　you。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　that　is　about　whatwhat　Iwhat　I　was　about　to　suggest。　　But　I　must　say；　Mr。　Jadwin〃

He　began　to　stammer　his　thanks。　　But　Jadwin　cut　him　off。　　Rising；　he　guided　Hargus　to　the　door；　one　hand　on　his　shoulder；　and　at　the　entrance　to　the　outer　office　called　a　clerk。

〃Take　Mr。　Hargus　over　to　the　Illinois　Trust；　Kinzie；　and　introduce　him。　　He　wants　to　open　an　account。〃

The　old　man　started　off　with　the　clerk；　but　before　Jadwin　had　reseated　himself　at　his　desk　was　back　again。　He　was　suddenly　all　excitement；　as　if　a　great　idea　had　abruptly　taken　possession　of　him。　　Stealthy；　furtive；　he　glanced　continually　over　his　shoulder　as　he　spoke；　talking　in　whispers；　a　trembling　hand　shielding　his　lips。

〃Youyou　are　inyou　are　in　control　now；〃　he　said。　〃You　could　givehey？　　You　could　give　mejust　a　little　just　one　word。　　A　word　would　be　enough；　hey？　hey？　　Just　a　little　tip。　　My　God；　I　could　make　fifty　dollars　by　noon。〃

〃Why；　man；　I've　just　given　you　about　half　a　million。〃

〃Half　a　million？　　I　don't　know。　　But〃he　plucked　Jadwin　tremulously　by　the　sleeve〃just　a　word；〃　he　begged。　〃Hey；　just　yes　or　no。〃

〃Haven't　you　enough　with　those　two　checks？〃

〃Those　checks？　　Oh；　I　know；　I　know；　I　know　I'll　salt　'em　down。　　Yes；　in　the　Illinois　Trust。　　I　won't　touch　'em　not　those。　　But　just　a　little　tip　now；　hey？〃

〃Not　a　word。　　Not　a　word。　　Take　him　along；　Kinzie。〃

One　week　after　this　Jadwin　sold；　through　his　agents　in　Paris；　a　tremendous　line　of　〃cash〃　wheat　at　a　dollar　and　sixty　cents　the　bushel。　　By　now　the　foreign　demand　was　a　thing　almost　insensate。　　There　was　no　question　as　to　the　price。　　It　was；　〃Give　us　the　wheat；　at　whatever　cost；　at　whatever　figure；　at　whatever　expense；　only　that　it　be　rushed　to　our　markets　with　all　the　swiftness　of　steam　and　steel。〃　　At　home；　upon　the　Chicago　Board　of　Trade；　Jadwin　was　as　completely　master　of　the　market　as　of　his　own　right　hand。　　Everything　stopped　when　he　raised　a　finger；　everything　leaped　to　life　with　the　fury　of　obsession　when　he　nodded　his　head。　　His　wealth　increased　with　such　stupefying　rapidity；　that　at　no　time　was　he　able　to　even　approximate　the　gains　that　accrued　to　him　because　of　his　corner。　　It　was　more　than　twenty　million；　and　less　than　fifty　million。　　That　was　all　he　knew。　　Nor　were　the　everlasting　hills　more　secure　than　he　from　the　attack　of　any　human　enemy。　　Out　of　the　ranks　of　the　conquered　there　issued　not　so　much　as　a　whisper　of　hostility。　　Within　his　own　sphere　no　Czar；　no　satrap；　no　Caesar　ever　wielded　power　more　resistless。

〃Sam；〃　said　Curtis　Jadwin；　at　length　to　the　broker；　〃Sam；　nothing　in　the　world　can　stop　me　now。　　They　think　I've　been　doing　something　big；　don't　they；　with　this　corner。　　Why；　I've　only　just　begun。　　This　is　just　a　feeler。　　Now　I'm　going　to　let　'em　know　just　how　big　a　gun　C。　J。　really　is。　　I'm　going　to　swing　this　deal　right　over　into　July。　　I'm　going　to　buy　in　my　July　shorts。〃

The　two　men　were　in　Gretry's　office　as　usual；　and　as　Jadwin　spoke；　the　broker　glanced　up　incredulously。

〃Now　you　are　for　sure　crazy。〃

Jadwin　jumped　to　his　feet。

〃Crazy！〃　he　vociferated。　　〃Crazy！　　What　do　you　mean？　Crazy！　　For　God's　sake；　Sam；　whatLook　here；　don't　use　that　word　to　me。　　Iit　don't　suit。　　What　I've　done　isn't　exactly　the　work　ofoftakes　brains；　let　me　tell　you。　　And　look　here；　look　here；　I　say；　I'm　going　to　swing　this　deal　right　over　into　July。　　Think　I'm　going　to　let　go　now；　when　I've　just　begun　to　get　a　real　grip　on　things？　　A　pretty　fool　I'd　look　like　to　get　out　noweven　if　I　could。　　Get　out？　　How　are　we　going　to　unload　our　big　line　of　wheat　without　breaking　the　price　on　us？　　No；　sir；　not　much。　　This　market　is　going　up　to　two　dollars。〃　　He　smote　a　knee　with　his　clinched　fist；　his　face　going　abruptly　crimson。　　〃I　say　two　dollars；〃　he　cried。　　〃Two　dollars；　do　you　hear？　　It　will　go　there；　you'll　see；　you'll　see。〃

〃Reports　on　the　new　crop　will　begin　to　come　in　in　June。〃　　Gretry's　warning　was　almost　a　cry。　　〃The　price　of　wheat　is　so　high　now；　that　God　knows　how　many　farmers　will　plant　it　this　spring。　　You　may　have　to　take　care　of　a　record　harvest。〃

〃I　know　better；〃　retorted　Jadwin。　　〃I'm　watching　this　thing。　　You　can't　tell　me　anything　about　it。　　I've　got　it　all　figured　out；　your　'new　crop。'〃

〃Well；　then　you're　the　Lord　Almighty　himself。〃

〃I　don't　like　that　kind　of　joke。　　I　don't　like　that　kind　of　joke。　　It's　blasphemous；〃　exclaimed　Jadwin。　〃Go；　get　it　off　on　Crookes。　　He'd　appreciate　it；　but　I　don't。　　But　this　new　crop　nowlook　here。〃

And　for　upwards　of　two　hours　Jadwin　argued　and　figured；　and　showed　to　Gretry　endless　tables　of　statistics　to　prove　that　he　was　right。

But　at　the　end　Gretry　shook　his　head。　　Calmly　and　deliberately　he　spoke　his　mind。

〃J。；　listen　to　me。　　You've　done　a　big　thing。　　I　know　it；　and　I　know；　too；　that　there've　been　lots　of　times　in　the　last　year　or　so　when　I've　been　wrong　and　you've　been　right。　　But　now；　J。；　so　help　me　God；　we've　reached　our　limit。　　Wheat　is　worth　a　dollar　and　a　half　to…day；　and　not　one　cent　more。　　Every　eighth　over　that　figure　is　inflation。　　If　you　run　it　up　to　two　dollars〃

〃It　will　go　there　of　itself；　I　tell　you。〃

〃if　you　run　it　up　to　two　dollars；　it　will　be　that　top…heavy；　that　the　littlest　kick　in　the　world　will　knock　it　over。　　Be　satisfied　now　with　what　you　got。　J。；　it's　common　sense。　　Close　out　your　long　line　of　May；　and　then　stop。　　Suppose　the　price　does　break　a　little；　you'd　still　make　your　pile。　　But　swing　this　deal　over　into　July；　and　it's　ruin；　ruin。　　I　may　have　been　mistaken　before；　but　I　know　I'm　right　now。　　And　do　you　realise；　J。；　that　yesterday　in　the　Pit　there　were　some　short　sales？　　There's　some　of　them　dared　to　go　short　of　wheat　against　youeven　at　the　very　top　of　your　cornerand　there　was　more　selling　this　morning。　You've　always　got　to　buy；　you　know。　　If　they　all　began　to　sell　to　you　at　once　they'd　bust　you。　　It's　only　because　you've　got　'em　so　scaredI　believethat　keeps　'em　from　it。　　But　it　looks　to　me　as　though　this　selling　proved　that　they　were　picking　up　heart。　　They　think　they　can　get　the　wheat　from　the　farmers　when　harvesting　begins。　　And　I　tell　you；　J。；　you've　put　the　price　of　wheat　so　high；　that　the　wheat　areas　are　extending　all　over　the　country。〃

〃You're　scared；〃　cried　Jadwin。　　〃That's　the　trouble　with　you；　Sam。　　You've　been　scared　from　the　start。　Can't　you　see；　man；　can't　you　see　that　this　market　is　a　regular　tornado？〃

〃I　see　that　the　farmers　all　over　the　country　are　planting　wheat　as　they've　never　planted　it　before。　Great　Scott；　J。；　you're　fighting　against　the　earth　itself。〃

〃Well；　we'll　fight　it；　then。　　I'll　stop　those　hayseeds。　What　do　I　own　all　these　newspapers　and　trade　journals　for？　　We'll　begin　sending　out　reports　to…morrow　that'll　discourage　any　big　wheat　planting。〃

〃And　then；　too；〃　went　on　Gretry；　〃here's　another　point。　Do　you　know；　you　ought　to　be　in　bed　this　very　minute。　You　haven't　got　any　nerves　left　at　all。　　You　acknowledge　yourself　that　you　don't　sleep　any　more。　And；　good　Lord；　the　moment　any　one　of　us　contradicts　you；　or　opposes　you；　you　go　off　the　handle　to　beat　the　Dutch。　　I　know　it's　a　strain；　old　man；　but　you　want　to　keep　yourself　in　hand　if　you　go　on　with　this　thing。　　If　you　should　break　down　nowwell；　I　don't　like　to　think　of　what　would　happen。　　You　ought　to　see　a　doctor。〃

〃Oh…h；　fiddlesticks；〃　exclaimed　Jadwin；　〃I'm　all　right。　I　don't　need　a　doctor；　haven't　time　to　see　one　anyhow。　Don't　you　bother　about　me。　　I'm　all　right。〃

Was　he？　　That　same　night；　the　first　he　had　spent　under　his　own　roof　for　four　days；　Jadwin　lay　awake　till　the　clocks　struck　four；　asking　himself　the　same　question。　No；　he　was　not　all　right。　　Something　was　very　wrong　with　him；　and　whatever　it　might　be；　it　was　growing　worse。　　The　sensation　of　the　iron　clamp　about　his　head　was　almost　permanent　by　now；　and　just　the　walk　between　his　room　at　the　Grand　Pacific　and　Gretry's　office　left　him　panting　and　exhausted。　　Then　had　come　vertigoes　and　strange；　inexplicable　qualms；　as　if　he　were　in　an　elevator　that　sank　under　him　with　terrifying　rapidity。

Going　to　and　fro　in　La　Salle　Street；　or　sitting　in　Gretry's　office；　where　the　roar　of　the　Pit　dinned　forever　in　his　ears；　he　could　forget　these　strange　symptoms。　　It　was　the　night　he　dreadedthe　long　hours　he　must　spend　alone。　　The　instant　the　strain　was　relaxed；　the　gallop　of　hoofs；　or　as　the　beat　of　ungovernable　torrents　began　in　his　brain。　　Always　the　beat　dropped　to　the　same　cadence；　always　the　pulse　spelled　out　the　same　words：

〃Wheat…wheat…wheat；　wheat…wheat…wheat。〃

And　of　late；　during　the　long　and　still　watches　of　the　night；　while　he　stared　at　the　ceiling；　or　counted　the　hours　that　must　pass　before　his　next　dose　of　bromide　of　potassium；　a　new　turn　had　been　given　to　the　screw。

This　was　a　sensation；　the　like　of　which　he　found　it　difficult　to　describe。　　But　it　seemed　to　be　a　slow；　tense　crisping　of　every　tiniest　nerve　in　his　body。　　It　would　begin　as　he　lay　in　bedcounting　interminably　to　get　himself　to　sleepbetween　his　knees　and　ankles；　and　thence　slowly　spread　to　every　part　of　him；　creeping　upward；　from　loin　to　shoulder；　in　a　gradual　wave　of　torture　that　was　not　pain；　yet　infinitely　worse。　　A　dry；　pringling　aura　as　of　billions　of　minute　electric　shocks　crept　upward　over　his　flesh；　till　it　reached　his　head；　where　it　seemed　to　culminate　in　a　white　flash；　which　he　felt　rather　than　saw。

His　body　felt　strange　and　unfamiliar　to　him。　　It　seemed　to　have　no　weight；　and　at　times　his　hands　would　appear　to　swell　swiftly　to　the　size　of　mammoth　b