Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 87: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

we mouth and chin stiffen to the latent power in him that had found its motive, and his ~ eyes, now grimly smiling, fought down very easily those of the scorpion. foecs ‘ao of, but in his new condition such an ad- mittance was unthinkable. Therefore he fenced. And luck was with his first passage with the swords of business, with his first job as his own boss. | “How many ships do you want?” he asked carelessly, rapidly deciding that, 4 if the scorpion had bought ships once, he _ might buy them again and, if nothing came of his question, he had saved his face by the pretense of having something for ' sale. To his astonishment the scorpion seemed startled, most upset. So many words rushed for outlet that they jammed _ in his throat like a panic-stricken crowd trying to escape from a burning building. And this agitation grew rapidly. | “Who told you? What you mean, eh? Have you just pretend? You come in fish-boat; look like you broke. Not fair, SS NT that. Oh, ha, no, not at all fair. I think _ you all the time were fooling. Yes, I told __ my wife that. You ask her. She say so, too. Now, what the game, eh?” Williams laugh to give himself time to think. Why _ should the scorpion be so excited? Even supposing that he had some deal on that _ had to do with the buying of ships—why on earth should the mere mention of it throw him into such a state of mingled _ fear and anger? Things were so bad all over the world that only an unprecedented buying could send prices up—nothing _ that the scorpion could be connected with. Yet, what was he afraid of? “Well,” Williams spoke quietly, delicht- ing in the new feeling of power, “I had my reasons for coming to Gib. in that old boat and for selling her to you at far below her proper price. Maybe I hadn’t been quite so far out to sea as I looked.” He paused, wondering what the owner of the boat had thought, meaning to pay him some day. “But you don’t expect me to _ tell you all that, do you?” — : The scorpion rapped loudly on the table, cursed the lazy innkeeper when he appeared, d gave great orders about setting up-the very best wine in the house in a hurry. Real a 7 Still, there was no business that he knew _ laughed and continued to. He had a notion that hospitality greases — rted. _ ag ok eye a * ie ag a ‘We are friends, no?’’ he professed. ; “Tf you Jike to put it that way—I’m not particular,” Williams crushed down the weakening memory of what he had “been an hour ago. The wine arrived, and Williams was amused at the ceremonious manner of the scorpion. It reminded him of something. Whom had he seen drink that way? But the wine did not loosen the tongue of the scorpion, although Williams ques- tioned him quite cleverly. Consequently, the captain was driven to invention. He had a fair knowledge of financial methods, even if most of it had been acquired in the bucket-shops that had prevented his savings from rising to diamond rings. And he understood something of the ways of ship- brokers. That reference to ships seemed to be trumps. At any rate, it was the only card in his hand. He decided to play it. “Now, look here, Sylvester,” he began to lie fluently, “what I have been doing is all my business. I took that boat just as I always take what I happen to want, but what caused me to take her is also my business. Now, the two men who I have had watching you he Sylvester jumped out of his chair, his eyes popping. For why had the captain had him watched? Had they not always been the best of friends. If the captain wanted more for the fish-boat, he had only to say so, and the money would be. given him at once. He knew they were friends. They had drunk much wine together. He had always loved the captain and had heard of the great deeds of that wonderful man, the captain’s father, before him. For why had he been watched as if he were a thief? With an effort Williams put an end to this unexpected but very satisfactory outburst. It was obvious that Sylvester was interested in ships, queer though it seemed. And he knew the methods of. ~ Scorpions pretty well. If this one were buying ships—and he appeared to be— he would buy them on options. For, whether he were buying for himself or for some Asiatic who wanted to become an owner—which often happened—or buying on speculation—whatever reason, he would first buy an option on the vessel or vessels was so simple that to : a . . te. am » ® 5 — . ty 4 - Aa by