the cost-第47节

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　brokers　joining　in　on　either　side；　men　shrieking　into　each　other's　faces　as　they　danced　round　and　round　the　Great　Lakes　pillar。　　The　price　went　down；　went　up；　went　down；　down；　downZabriskie　had　hurled　selling　orders　for　nearly　fifty　thousand　shares　at　it　and　Dumont　had　commanded　his　guns　to　cease　firing。　　He　did　not　dare　take　any　more　offerings；　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　ammunition　he　had　planned　to　expend　at　that　particular　stage　of　the　battle。

The　alarm　spread　and；　although　Zabriskie　ceased　selling；　the　price　continued　to　fall　under　the　assaults　of　the　speculating　public；　mad　to　get　rid　of　that　which　its　own　best　friends　were　so　eagerly　and　so　frankly　throwing　over。　　Down；　down；　down　to　one　hundred　and　twenty；　to　one　hundred　and　ten；　to　one　hundred　and　five

Zabriskie　telephoned　victory　to　his　nominal　commander；　lifting　him；　weak　and　trembling；　from　the　depths　into　which　he　had　fallen；　to　an　at　least　upright　position　upon　his　embossed　leather　throne。　　Then　Zabriskie　began　stealthily　to　cover　his　appallingly　long　line　of　〃shorts〃　by　making　purchases　at　the　lowest　obtainable　pricesone　hundred　and　fourone　hundred　and　threeone　hundred　and　oneninety…nineone　hundred　and　six！

The　price　rebounded　so　rapidly　and　so　high　that　Zabriskie　was　forced　to　stop　his　retreat。　　Dumont；　noting　the　celerity　with　which　the　enemy　were　escaping　under　cover　of　the　demoralization；　had　decided　no　longer　to　delay　the　move　for　which　he　had　saved　himself。　　He　had　suddenly　exploded　under　the　falling　price　mine　after　mine　of　buying　orders　that　blew　it　skyward。　　Zabriskie's　retreat　was　cut　off。

But　before　he　had　time　to　reason　out　this　savage　renewal　of　the　assault　by　that　mysterious　foe　whom　he　thought　he　had　routed；　he　saw　a　new　and　more　dreadful　peril。　　Brackett；　his　firm's　secret　broker；　rushed　to　him　and；　to　make　himself　heard　through　the　hurly…burly；　shouted　into　his　ear：

〃Look　what's　doing　in　Woolens！〃

Dumont　had　ordered　a　general　assault　upon　his　enemies；　front；　rear　and　both　flanks。　　His　forces　were　now　attacking　not　only　through　Great　Lakes　but　also　through　Woolens。　　Two　apparently　opposing　sets　of　his　brokers　were　trading　in　Woolens；　were　hammering　the　price　down；　down；　a　point；　an　eighth；　a　half；　a　quarter；　at　a　time。　　The　sweat　burst　out　all　over　Zabriskie's　body　and　his　eyes　rolled　wildly。　　He　was　caught　among　four　fires：

To　continue　to　sell　Great　Lakes　in　face　of　its　rising　pricethat　was　ruin。　　To　cease　to　sell　it　and　so　let　its　price　go　up　to　where　he　could　not　buy　when　settlement　time　camethat　was　ruin。　　To　sell　Woolens；　to　help　batter　down　its　price；　to　shrink　the　value　of　his　enormous　investment　in　itruin　again。　　To　buy　Woolens　in　order　to　hold　up　its　price；　to　do　it　when　he　would　need　all　obtainable　cash　to　extricate　him　from　the　Great　Lakes　entanglementruin；　certain　ruin。

His　judgment　was　gone；　his　brute　instinct　of　fighting　was　dominant；　he　began　to　strike　out　wildly；　his　blows　falling　either　nowhere　or　upon　himself。

At　the　Woolens　post　he　was　buying　in　the　effort　to　sustain　its　price；　buying　stock　that　might　be　worthless　when　he　got　itand　that　he　might　not　be　able　to　pay　for。　　At　the　Great　Lakes　post　he　was　selling　in　the　effort　to　force　the　price　down；　selling　more　and　more　of　a　stock　he　did　not　have　and　At　last　the　thought　flashed　into　his　befuddled　brain：　　〃There　may　be　a　corner　in　Great　Lakes。　　What　if　there　were　no　stock　to　be　had？〃

He　struck　his　hands　against　the　sides　of　his　head。　　〃Trapped！〃　he　groaned；　then　bellowed　in　Brackett's　ear。　　〃Sell　Woolensdo　the　best　you　can　to　keep　the　price　up；　but　sell　at　any　price！　　We　must　have　moneyall　we　can　get！　　And　tell　Farley〃Farley　was　Brackett's　partner〃to　buy　Great　Lakesbuy　all　he　can　getat　any　price。　　Somebody's　trying　to　corner　us！〃

He　feltwith　an　instinct　he　could　not　questionthat　there　was　indeed　a　corner　in　Great　Lakes；　that　he　and　his　house　and　their　associates　were　caught。　　Caught　with　promises　to　deliver　thousands　upon　thousands　of　shares　of　Great　Lakes；　when　Great　Lakes　could　be　had　only　of　the　mysterious　cornerer；　and　at　whatever　price　he　might　choose　to　ask！

〃If　we've　got　to　go　down；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃I'll　see　that　it's　a　tremendous　smash　anyhow；　and　that　we　ain't　alone　in　it。〃　　For　he　had　in　him　the　stuff　that　makes　a　man　lead　a　forlorn　hope　with　a　certain　joy　in　the　very　hopelessness　of　it。

The　scene　on　the　day　of　Dumont's　downfall　was　a　calm　in　comparison　with　the　scene　which　Dumont；　sitting　alone　among　the　piled…up　coils　of　ticker…tape；　was　reconstructing　from　its；　to　him；　vivid　second…by…second　sketchings。

The　mysterious　force　which　had　produced　a　succession　of　earthquakes　moved　horribly　on；　still　in　mystery　impenetrable；　to　produce　a　cataclysm。　　In　the　midst　of　the　chaos　two　vast　whirlpools　formedone　where　Great　Lakes　sucked　down　men　and　fortunes；　the　other　where　Woolens　drew　some　down　to　destruction；　flung　others　up　to　wealth。　　Then　Rumor；　released　by　Tavistock　when　Dumont　saw　that　the　crisis　had　arrived；　ran　hot　foot　through　the　Exchange；　screaming　into　the　ears　of　the　brokers；　shrieking　through　the　telephones；　howling　over　the　telegraph　wires；　〃A　corner！　　A　corner！　　Great　Lakes　is　cornered！〃　　Thousands　besides　the　Fanning…Smith　coterie　had　been　gambling　in　Great　Lakes；　had　sold　shares　they　did　not　have。　　And　now　all　knew　that　to　get　them　they　must　go　to　the　unknown；　but　doubtless　merciless；　master…gamblerunless　they　could　save　themselves　by　instantly　buying　elsewhere　before　the　steel　jaws　of　the　corner　closed　and　clinched。

Reason　fled；　and　self…control。　　The　veneer　of　civilization　was　torn　away　to　the　last　shred；　and　men；　turned　brute　again；　gave　themselves　up　to　the　elemental　passions　of　the　brute。

In　the　quiet；　beautiful　room　in　upper　Fifth　Avenue　was　Dumont　in　his　wine…colored　wadded　silk　dressing…gown　and　white　silk　pajamas。　　The　floor　near　his　lounge　was　littered　with　the　snake…like　coils　of　ticker…tape。　　They　rose　almost　to　his　knees　as　he　sat　and　through　telephone　and　ticker　drank　in　the　massacre　of　his　making；　glutted　himself　with　the　joy　of　the　vengeance　he　was　takingon　his　enemies；　on　his　false　or　feeble　friends；　on　the　fickle　public　that　had　trampled　and　spat　upon　him。　　His　wet　hair　was　hanging　in　strings　upon　his　forehead。　　His　face　was　flushed　and　his　green…gray　eyes　gleamed　like　a　mad　dog's。　　At　intervals　a　jeer　or　a　grunt　of　gratified　appetite　ripped　from　his　mouth　or　nose。　　Like　a　great　lean　spider　he　lay　hid　in　the　center　of　that　vast　net　of　electric　wires；　watching　his　prey　writhe　helpless。　　Pauline；　made　uneasy　by　his　long　isolation；　opened　his　door　and　lookedglanced；　rather。　　As　she　closed　it；　in　haste　to　shut　from　view　that　spectacle　of　a　hungry　monster　at　its　banquet　of　living　flesh；　Culver　saw　her　face。　　Such　an　expression　an　angel　might　have；　did　it　chance　to　glance　down　from　the　battlements　of　heaven　and；　before　it　could　turn　away；　catch　a　glimpse　of　some　orgy　in　hell。

But　Dumont　did　not　hear　the　door　open　and　close。　　He　was　at　the　climax　of　his　feast。

Upon　his　two　maelstroms；　sucking　in　the　wreckage　from　a　dozen　other　explosions　as　well　as　from　those　he　had　directly　caused；　he　could　see　as　well　as　if　he　were　among　the　fascinated；　horrified　spectators　in　the　galleries　of　the　Exchange；　the　mangled　flotsam　whirling　and　descending　and　ascending。　　The　entire　stock　list；　the　entire　speculating　public　of　the　country　was　involved。　　And　expression　of　the　emotions　everywhere　was　by　telegraph　and　telephone　concentrated　in　the　one　hall；　upon　the　faces　and　bodies　of　those　few　hundred　brokers。　　All　the　passions　which　love　of　wealth　and　dread　of　want　breed　in　the　human　animal　were　there　finding　ventall　degrees　and　shades　and　modes　of　greed；　of　hate；　of　fear；　of　despair。　　It　was　like　a　shipwreck　where　the　whole　fleet　is　flung　upon　the　reefs；　and　the　sailors；　drunk　and　insane；　struggle　with　death　each　in　his　own　awful　way。　　It　was　like　the　rout　where　frenzied　victors　ride　after　and　among　frenzied　vanquished　to　shoot　and　stab　and　saber。

And　while　this　battle；　precipitated　by　the　passions　of　a　few　〃captains　of　industry；〃　raged　in　Wall　Street　and　filled　the　nation　with　the　clamor　of　ruined　or　triumphant　gamblers；　ten…score　thousand　toilers　in　the　two　great　enterprises　directly　involved　toiled　tranquilly　onherding　sheep　and　shearing　them；　weaving　cloths　and　dyeing　them；　driving　engines；　handling　freight；　conducting　trains；　usefully　busy；　adding　to　the　sum　of　human　happiness；　subtracting　from　the　sum　of　human　misery。


At　three　o'clock　Dumont　sank　back　among　his　cushions　and　pillows。　　His　child；　his　other　self；　his　Woolens　Monopoly；　was　again　his　own；　his　enemies　were　under　his　heel；　as　much　so　as　those　heaps　and　coils　of　ticker…tape　he　had　been　churning　in　his　excitement。　　〃I'm　dead　tired；〃　he　muttered；　his　face　ghastly；　his　body　relaxed　in　utter　exhaustion。

He　closed　his　eyes。　　〃I　must　sleepI've　earned　it。　　To…morrow〃a　smile　flitted　round　his　mouth〃I'll　hang　their　hides　where　every　coyote　and　vulture　can　see。〃

Toward　four　o'clock　in　came　Doctor　Sackett　and　Culver。　　The　room　was　flooded　with　lightthe　infinite　light　of　the　late…spring　afternoon　reflected　on　the　white　enamel　and　white　brocade　of　walls　and　furniture。　　On　the　floor　in　the　heaps　and　coils　of　ticker…tape　lay　Dumont。

In　his　struggles　the