the pit-第61部分

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〃Oh；　this　can　wait？〃　exclaimed　Jadwin。　　〃Let　it　go　till　this　afternoon。　　I　can't　talk　business　now。　　Think　of　CarrieMrs。　Cressler；　I〃

〃No；〃　answered　Gretry；　reflectively　and　slowly；　looking　anywhere　but　in　Jadwin's　face。　　〃Nno；　I　don't　think　we'd　better　wait。　　I　think　we'd　better　meet　these　margin　calls　promptly。　　It's　always　better　to　keep　our　trades　margined　up。〃

Jadwin　faced　around。

〃Why；〃　he　cried；　〃one　would　think；　to　hear　you　talk；　as　though　there　was　danger　of　me　busting　here　at　any　hour。〃

Gretry　did　not　answer。　　There　was　a　moment's　silence　Then　the　broker　caught　his　principal's　eye　and　held　it　a　second。

〃Well；〃　he　answered；　〃you　saw　how　freely　they　sold　to　us　in　the　Pit　yesterday。　　We've　got　to　buy；　and　buy　and　buy；　to　keep　our　price　up；　and　look　here；　look　at　these　reports　from　our　correspondentseverything　points　to　a　banner　crop。　　There's　been　an　increase　of　acreage　everywhere；　because　of　our　high　prices。　　See　this　from　Travers〃he　picked　up　a　despatch　and　read：　〃'Preliminary　returns　of　spring　wheat　in　two　Dakotas；　subject　to　revision；　indicate　a　total　area　seeded　of　sixteen　million　acres；　which　added　to　area　in　winter　wheat　states；　makes　total　of　forty…three　million；　or　nearly　four　million　acres　greater　than　last　year。'〃

〃Lot　of　damned　sentiment；〃　cried　Jadwin；　refusing　to　be　convinced。　　〃Two…thirds　of　that　wheat　won't　grade；　and　Europe　will　take　nearly　all　of　it。　　What　we　ought　to　do　is　to　send　our　men　into　the　Pit　and　buy　another　million；　buy　more　than　these　fools　can　offer。　　Buy　'em　to　a　_standstill。_〃

〃That　takes　a　big　pile　of　money　then；〃　said　the　broker。　〃More　than　we　can　lay　our　hands　on　this　morning。　　The　best　we　can　do　is　to　take　all　the　Bears　are　offering；　and　support　the　market。　　The　moment　they　offer　us　wheat　and　we　don't　buy　it；　that　momentas　you　know；　yourselfthey'll　throw　wheat　at　you　by　the　train　load；　and　the　price　will　break；　and　we　with　it。〃

〃Think　we'll　get　rid　of　much　wheat　to…day？〃　demanded　Jadwin。

By　now　it　had　became　vitally　necessary　for　Jadwin　to　sell　out　his　holdings。　　His　〃long　line〃　was　a　fearful　expense；　insurance　and　storage　charges　were　eating　rapidly　into　the　profits。　　He　_must_　get　rid　of　the　load　he　was　carrying；　little　by　little。　　To　do　this　at　a　profit；　he　had　adopted　the　expedient　of　flooding　the　Pit　with　buying　orders　just　before　the　close　of　the　session；　and　then　as　the　price　rose　under　this　stimulus；　selling　quickly；　before　it　had　time　to　break。　At　first　this　had　succeeded。　　But　of　late　he　must　buy　more　and　more　to　keep　the　price　up；　while　the　moment　that　he　began　to　sell；　the　price　began　to　drop；　so　that　now；　in　order　to　sell　one　bushel；　he　must　buy　two。

〃Think　we　can　unload　much　on　'em　to…day？〃　repeated　Jadwin。

〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Gretry；　slowly　and　thoughtfully。　　〃Perhapsthere's　a　chance。　　Frankly；　J。；　I　don't　think　we　can。　　The　Pit　is　taking　heart；　that's　the　truth　of　it。　　Those　fellows　are　not　so　scared　of　us　as　they　were　a　while　ago。　　It's　the　new　crop；　as　I've　said　over　and　over　again。　　We've　put　wheat　so　high；　that　all　the　farmers　have　planted　it；　and　are　getting　ready　to　dump　it　on　us。　　The　Pit　knows　that；　of　course。　　Why；　just　think；　they　are　harvesting　in　some　places。　　These　fellows　we've　caught　in　the　corner　will　be　able　to　buy　all　the　wheat　they　want　from　the　farmers　if　they　can　hold　out　a　little　longer。　　And　that　Government　report　yesterday　showed　that　the　growing　wheat　is　in　good　condition。〃

〃Nothing　of　the　sort。　　It　was　a　little　over　eighty…　six。〃

〃Good　enough；〃　declared　Gretry；　〃good　enough　so　that　it　broke　the　price　down　to　a　dollar　and　twenty。　　Just　think；　we　were　at　a　dollar　and　a　half　a　little　while　ago。〃

〃And　we'll　be　at　two　dollars　in　another　ten　days；　I　tell　you。〃

〃Do　you　know　how　we　stand　J。？〃　said　the　broker　gravely。　〃Do　you　know　how　we　standfinancially？　　It's　taken　pretty　nearly　every　cent　of　our　ready　money　to　support　this　July　market。　　Oh；　we　can　figure　out　our　paper　profits　into　the　millions。　　We've　got　thirty；　forty；　fifty　million　bushels　of　wheat　that's　worth　over　a　dollar　a　bushel；　but　if　we　can't　sell　it；　we're　none　the　better　offand　that　wheat　is　costing　us　six　thousand　dollars　a　day。　　Hell；　old　man；　where's　the　money　going　to　come　from？　　You　don't　seem　to　realise　that　we　are　in　a　precarious　condition。〃　　He　raised　an　arm；　and　pointed　above　him　in　the　direction　of　the　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade。

〃The　moment　we　can't　give　our　boysLandry　Court；　and　the　rest　of　'emthe　moment　we　can't　give　them　buying　orders；　that　Pit　will　suck　us　down　like　a　chip。　　The　moment　we　admit　that　we　can't　buy　all　the　wheat　that's　offered；　there's　the　moment　we　bust。〃

〃Well；　we'll　buy　it；〃　cried　Jadwin；　through　his　set　teeth。　　〃I'll　show　those　brutes。　　Look　here；　is　it　money　we　want？　　You　cable　to　Paris　and　offer　two　million；　atoh；　at　eight　cents　below　the　market；　and　to　Liverpool；　and　let　'em　have　twopence　off　on　the　same　amount。　　They'll　snap　it　up　as　quick　as　look　at　it。　That　will　bring　in　one　lot　of　money；　and　as　for　the　rest；　I　guess　I've　got　some　real　estate　in　this　town　that't　pretty　good　security。〃

〃Whatyou　going　to　mortgage　part　of　that？〃

〃No；〃　cried　Jadwin；　jumping　up　with　a　quick　impatient　gesture；　〃no；　I'm　going　to　mortgage　all　of　it；　and　I'm　going　to　do　it　to…daythis　morning。　　If　you　say　we're　in　a　precarious　condition；　it's　no　time　for　half　measures。　　I'll　have　more　money　than　you'll　know　what　to　do　with　in　the　Illinois　Trust　by　three　o'clock　this　afternoon；　and　when　the　Board　opens　to…morrow　morning；　I'm　going　to　light　into　those　cattle　in　the　Pit　there；　so　as　they'll　think　a　locomotive　has　struck　'em。　They'd　stand　me　off；　would　they？　　They'd　try　to　sell　me　down；　they　won't　cover　when　I　turn　the　screw！　I'll　show　'em；　Sam　Gretry。　　I'll　run　wheat　up　so　high　before　the　next　two　days；　that　the　Bank　of　England　can't　pull　it　down；　and　before　the　Pit　can　catch　its　breath；　I'll　sell　our　long　line；　and　with　the　profits　of　that；　by　God！　I'll　run　it　up　again。　　Two　dollars！　Why；　it　will　be　two　fifty　here　so　quick　you　won't　know　how　it's　happened。　　I've　just　been　fooling　with　this　crowd　until　now。　　_Now；_　I'm　really　going　to　get　down　to　business。〃

Gretry　did　not　answer。　　He　twirled　his　pencil　between　his　fingers；　and　stared　down　at　the　papers　on　his　desk。　Once　he　started　to　speak；　but　checked　himself。　　Then　at　last　he　turned　about。

〃All　right；〃　he　said；　briskly。　　〃We'll　see　what　that　will　do。〃

〃I'm　going　over　to　the　Illinois　Trust　now；〃　said　Jadwin；　putting　on　his　hat。　　〃When　your　boys　come　in　for　their　orders；　tell　them　for　to…day　just　to　support　the　market。　　If　there's　much　wheat　offered　they'd　better　buy　it。　　Tell　them　not　to　let　the　market　go　below　a　dollar　twenty。　　When　I　come　back　we'll　make　out　those　cables。〃

That　day　Jadwin　carried　out　his　programme　so　vehemently　announced　to　his　broker。　　Upon　every　piece　of　real　estate　that　he　owned　he　placed　as　heavy　a　mortgage　as　the　property　would　stand。　　Even　his　old　house　on　Michigan　Avenue；　even　the　〃homestead〃　on　North　State　Street　were　encumbered。　　The　time　was　come；　he　felt；　for　the　grand　_coup；_　the　last　huge　strategical　move；　the　concentration　of　every　piece　of　heavy　artillery。　Never　in　all　his　multitude　of　operations　on　the　Chicago　Board　of　Trade　had　he　failed。　　He　knew　he　would　not　fail　now；　Luck；　the　golden　goddess；　still　staid　at　his　shoulder。　　He　did　more　than　mortgage　his　property；　he　floated　a　number　of　promissory　notes。　　His　credit；　always　unimpeachable；　he　taxed　to　its　farthest　stretch；　from　every　source　he　gathered　in　the　sinews　of　the　war　he　was　waging。　　No　sum　was　too　great　to　daunt　him；　none　too　small　to　be　overlooked。　　Reserves；　van　and　rear；　battle　line　and　skirmish　outposts　he　summoned　together　to　form　one　single　vast　column　of　attack。

It　was　on　this　same　day　while　Jadwin；　pressed　for　money；　was　leaving　no　stone　unturned　to　secure　ready　cash；　that　he　came　across　old　Hargus　in　his　usual　place　in　Gretry's　customers'　room；　reading　a　two　days　old　newspaper。　　Of　a　sudden　an　idea　occurred　to　Jadwin。　　He　took　the　old　man　aside。　　〃Hargus；〃　he　said；　〃do　you　want　a　good　investment　for　your　money；　that　money　I　turned　over　to　you？　　I　can　give　you　a　better　rate　than　the　bank；　and　pretty　good　security。　　Let　me　have　about　a　hundred　thousand　atoh；　ten　per　cent。〃

〃Heywhat？〃　asked　the　old　fellow　querulously。　　Jadwin　repeated　his　request。

But　Hargus　cast　a　suspicious　glance　at　him　and　drew　away。

〃II　don't　lend　my　money；〃　he　observed。

〃Whyyou　old　fool；〃　exclaimed　Jadwin。　　Here；　is　it　more　interest　you　want？　　Why；　we'll　say　fifteen　per　cent。；　if　you　like。〃

〃I　don't　lend　my　money；〃　exclaimed　Hargus；　shaking　his　head。　　〃I　ain't　got　any　to　lend；〃　and　with　the　words　took　himself　off。〃

One　source　of　help　alone　Jadwin　left　untried。　　Sorely　tempted；　he　nevertheless　kept　himself　from　involving　his　wife's　money　in　the　hazard。　　Laura；　in　her　own　name；　was　possessed　of　a　little　fortune；　sure　as　he　was　of　winning；　Jadwin　none　the　less　hesitated　from　seeking　an　auxiliary　here。　　He　felt　it　was　a　matter　of　pride。　He　could　not　bring　himself　to　make　use　of　a　woman's　succour。

But　his　entire　personal　fortune　now　swung　in　the　balance。　　It　was　the　last　fight；　the　supreme　attempt　the　final　consummate　assault；　and　the　thrill　of　a　victory　more　brilliant；　more　conclusive；　more　decisive　than　any　he　had　ever　known；　vibrated　in　Jadwin's　breast；　as　he　went　to　and　fro　in　Jackson；　Adams；　and　La　Salle　streets　all　through　that　day　of　the　eleventh。

But　he　knew　the　dangerknew　just　how　terrible　was　to　be　the　grapple。　　Once　that　same　day　a　certain　detail　of　business　took　him　near　to　the　entrance　of　the　Floor。　Though　he　did　not　so　much　as　look　inside　the　doors；　he　could　not　but　hear　the　thunder　of　the　Pit；　and　even　in　that　moment　of　confidence；　his　great　triumph　only　a　few　hours　distant；　Jadwin；　for　the　instant；　stood　daunted。　The　roar　was　appalling；　the　whirlpool　was　again　unchained；　the　maelstrom　was　again　unleashed。　　And　during　the　briefest　of　seconds　he　could　fancy　that　the　familiar　bellow　of　its　swirling；　had　taken　on　another　pitch。　　Out　of　that　hideous　turmoil；　he　imagined；　there　issued　a　strange　unwonted　note；　as　it　were；　the　first　rasp　and　grind　of　a　new　avalanche　just　beginning　to　stir；　a　diapason　more　profound　than　any　he　had　yet　known；　a　hollow　distant　bourdon