the pit-第16节

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〃Have　you　got　it？〃　he　demanded　of　Jadwin；　as　he　took　the　slip　back。　　〃Won't　forget　it？〃　He　twisted　the　paper　into　a　roll　and　burned　it　carefully　in　the　office　cuspidor。

〃Now；〃　he　remarked；　〃do　you　come　in？　　It's　just　the　two　of　us；　J。；　and　I　think　we　can　make　that　Porteous　clique　look　very　sick。〃

〃Hum！〃　murmured　Jadwin　surprised。　　〃That　_does_　give　you　a　twist　on　the　situation。　　But　to　tell　the　truth；　Sam；　I　had　sort　of　made　up　my　mind　to　keep　out　of　speculation　since　my　last　little　deal。　　A　man　gets　into　this　game；　and　into　it；　and　into　it；　and　before　you　know　he　can't　pull　outand　he　don't　want　to。　　Next　he　gets　his　nose　scratched；　and　he　hits　back　to　make　up　for　it；　and　just　hits　into　the　air　and　loses　his　balanceand　down　he　goes。　　I　don't　want　to　make　any　more　money；　Sam。　　I've　got　my　little　pile；　and　before　I　get　too　old　I　want　to　have　some　fun　out　of　it。〃

〃But　lord　love　you；　J。；〃　objected　the　other；　〃this　ain't　speculation。　　You　can　see　for　yourself　how　sure　it　is。　　I'm　not　a　baby　at　this　business；　am　I？　　You'll　let　me　know　something　of　this　game；　won't　you？　　And　I　tell　you；　J。；　it's　found　money。　　The　man　that　sells　wheat　short　on　the　strength　of　this　has　as　good　as　got　the　money　in　his　vest　pocket　already。　　Oh；　nonsense；　of　course　you'll　come　in。　　I've　been　laying　for　that　Bull　gang　since　long　before　the　Helmick　failure；　and　now　I've　got　it　right　where　I　want　it。　　Look　here；　J。；　you　aren't　the　man　to　throw　money　away。　　You'd　buy　a　business　block　if　you　knew　you　could　sell　it　over　again　at　a　profit。　　Now　here's　the　chance　to　make　really　a　fine　Bear　deal。　　Why；　as　soon　as　this　news　gets　on　the　floor　there；　the　price　will　bust　right　down；　and　down；　and　down。　　Porteous　and　his　crowd　couldn't　keep　it　up　to　save　'em　from　the　receiver's　hand　one　single　minute。〃

〃I　know；　Sam；〃　answered　Jadwin；　〃and　the　trouble　is；　not　that　I　don't　want　to　speculate；　but　that　I　_do_　too　much。　　That's　why　I　said　I'd　keep　out　of　it。　　It　isn't　so　much　the　money　as　the　fun　of　playing　the　game。　With　half　a　show；　I　would　get　in　a　little　more　and　a　little　more；　till　by　and　by　I'd　try　to　throw　a　big　thing；　and　instead；　the　big　thing　would　throw　me。　　Why；　Sam；　when　you　told　me　that　that　wreck　out　there　mumbling　a　sandwich　was　Hargus；　it　made　me　turn　cold。〃

〃Yes；　in　your　feet；〃　retorted　Gretry。　　〃I'm　not　asking　you　to　risk　all　your　money；　am　I；　or　a　fifth　of　it；　or　a　twentieth　of　it？　　Don't　be　an　ass；　J。　　Are　we　a　conservative　house；　or　aren't　we？　　Do　I　talk　like　this　when　I'm　not　sure？　　Look　here。　　Let　me　sell　a　million　bushels　for　you。　　Yes；　I　know　it's　a　bigger　order　than　I've　handled　for　you　before。　　But　_this_　time　I　want　to　go　_right　into　it；_　head　down　and　heels　up；　and　get　a　twist　on　those　Porteous　buckoes；　and　raise　'em　right　out　of　their　boots。　　We　get　a　crop　report　this　morning；　and　if　the　visible　supply　is　as　large　as　I　think　it　is；　the　price　will　go　off　and　unsettle　the　whole　market。　I'll　sell　short　for　you　at　the　best　figures　we　can　get；　and　you　can　cover　on　the　slump　any　time　between　now　and　the　end　of　May。〃

Jadwin　hesitated。　　In　spite　of　himself　he　felt　a　Chance　had　come。　　Again　that　strange　sixth　sense　of　his；　the　inexplicable　instinct；　that　only　the　born　speculator　knows；　warned　him。　　Every　now　and　then　during　the　course　of　his　business　career；　this　intuition　came　to　him；　this　_flair；_　this　intangible；　vague　premonition；　this　presentiment　that　he　must　seize　Opportunity　or　else　Fortune；　that　so　long　had　stayed　at　his　elbow；　would　desert　him。　　In　the　air　about　him　he　seemed　to　feel　an　influence；　a　sudden　new　element；　the　presence　of　a　new　force。　　It　was　Luck；　the　great　power；　the　great　goddess；　and　all　at　once　it　had　stooped　from　out　the　invisible；　and　just　over　his　head　passed　swiftly　in　a　rush　of　glittering　wings。

〃The　thing　would　have　to　be　handled　like　glass；〃　observed　the　broker　thoughtfully；　his　eyes　narrowing　〃A　tip　like　this　is　public　property　in　twenty…four　hours；　and　it　don't　give　us　any　too　much　time。　　I　don't　want　to　break　the　price　by　unloading　a　million　or　more　bushels　on　'em　all　of　a　sudden。　　I'll　scatter　the　orders　pretty　evenly。　　You　see；〃　he　added；　〃here's　a　big　point　in　our　favor。　　We'll　be　able　to　sell　on　a　strong　market。　　The　Pit　traders　have　got　some　crazy　war　rumour　going；　and　they're　as　flighty　over　it　as　a　young　ladies'　seminary　over　a　great　big　rat。　　And　even　without　that；　the　market　is　top…heavy。　　Porteous　makes　me　weary。　　He　and　his　gang　have　been　bucking　it　up　till　we've　got　an　abnormal　price。　　Ninety…four　for　May　wheat！　Why；　it's　ridiculous。　　Ought　to　be　selling　way　down　in　the　eighties。　　The　least　little　jolt　would　tip　her　over。　　Well；〃　he　said　abruptly；　squaring　himself　at　Jadwin；　〃do　we　come　in？　　If　that　same　luck　of　yours　is　still　in　working　order；　here's　your　chance；　J。；　to　make　a　killing。　　There's　just　that　gilt…edged；　full…morocco　chance　that　a　report　of　big　'visible'　would　give　us。〃

Jadwin　laughed。　　〃Sam；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　flip　a　coin　for　it。〃

〃Oh；　get　out；〃　protested　the　broker；　then　suddenlythe　gambling　instinct　that　a　lifetime　passed　in　that　place　had　cultivated　in　himexclaimed：

〃All　right。　　Flip　a　coin。　　But　give　me　your　word　you'll　stay　by　it。　　Heads　you　come　in；　tails　you　don't。　　Will　you　give　me　your　word？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　about　that；〃　replied　Jadwin；　amused　at　the　foolishness　of　the　whole　proceeding。　　But　as　he　balanced　the　half…dollar　on　his　thumb…nail；　he　was　all　at　once　absolutely　assured　that　it　would　fall　heads。　He　flipped　it　in　the　air；　and　even　as　he　watched　it　spin；　said　to　himself；　〃It　will　come　heads。　　It　could　not　possibly　be　anything　else。　　I　_know_　it　will　be　heads。〃

And　as　a　matter　of　course　the　coin　fell　heads。

〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　come　in。〃

〃For　a　million　bushels？〃

〃Yesfor　a　million。　　How　much　in　margins　will　you　want？〃

Gretry　figured　a　moment　on　the　back　of　an　envelope。

〃Fifty　thousand　dollars；〃　he　announced　at　length。

Jadwin　wrote　the　check　on　a　corner　of　the　broker's　desk；　and　held　it　a　moment　before　him。

〃Good…bye；〃　he　said；　apostrophising　the　bit　of　paper。　〃Good…bye。　　I　ne'er　shall　look　upon　your　like　again。〃

Gretry　did　not　laugh。

〃Huh！〃　he　grunted。　　〃You'll　look　upon　a　hatful　of　them　before　the　month　is　out。〃


That　same　morning　Landry　Court　found　himself　in　the　corridor　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade　about　nine　o'clock。　　He　had　just　come　out　of　the　office　of　Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。；　where　he　and　the　other　Pit　traders　for　the　house　had　been　receiving　their　orders　for　the　day。

As　he　was　buying　a　couple　of　apples　at　the　news　stand　at　the　end　of　the　corridor；　Semple　and　a　young　Jew　named　Hirsch；　Pit　traders　for　small　firms　in　La　Salle　Street；　joined　him。

〃Hello；　Court；　what　do　you　know？〃

〃Hello；　Barry　Semple！　Hello；　Hirsch！〃　Landry　offered　the　halves　of　his　second　apple；　and　the　three　stood　there　a　moment；　near　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　talking　and　eating　their　apples　from　the　points　of　their　penknives　。

〃I　feel　sort　of　seedy　this　morning；〃　Semple　observed　between　mouthfuls。　　〃Was　up　late　last　night　at　a　stag。　A　friend　of　mine　just　got　back　from　Europe；　and　some　of　the　boys　were　giving　him　a　little　dinner。　　He　was　all　over　the　shop；　this　friend　of　mine；　spent　most　of　his　time　in　Constantinople；　had　some　kind　of　newspaper　business　there。　　It　seems　that　it's　a　pretty　crazy　proposition；　Turkey　and　the　Sultan　and　all　that。　　He　said　that　there　was　nearly　a　row　over　the　'Higgins…　Pasha'　incident；　and　that　the　British　agent　put　it　pretty　straight　to　the　Sultan's　secretary。　　My　friend　said　Constantinople　put　him　in　mind　of　a　lot　of　opera　bouffe　scenery　that　had　got　spilled　out　in　the　mud。　Say；　Court；　he　said　the　streets　were　dirtier　than　the　Chicago　streets。〃

〃Oh；　come　now；〃　said　Hirsch。

〃Fact！　And　the　dogs！　He　told　us　he　knows　now　where　all　the　yellow　dogs　go　to　when　they　die。〃

〃But　say；〃　remarked　Hirsch；　〃what　is　that　about　the　Higgins…Pasha　business？　　I　thought　that　was　over　long　ago。〃

〃Oh；　it　is；〃　answered　Semple　easily。　　He　looked　at　his　watch。　　〃I　guess　it's　about　time　to　go　up；　pretty　near　half…past　nine。〃

The　three　mounted　the　stairs；　mingling　with　the　groups　of　floor　traders　who；　in　steadily　increasing　numbers；　had　begun　to　move　in　the　same　direction。　　But　on　the　way　Hirsch　was　stopped　by　his　brother。

〃Hey；　I　got　that　box　of　cigars　for　you。〃

Hirsch　paused。　　〃Oh！　All　right；〃　he　said；　then　he　added：　〃　Say；　how　about　that　Higgins…Pasha　affair？　　You　remember　that　row　between　England　and　Turkey。　　They　tell　me　the　British　agent　in　Constantinople　put　it　pretty　straight　to　the　Sultan　the　other　day。〃

The　other　was　interested。　　〃He　did；　hey？〃　he　said。　〃The　market　hasn't　felt　it；　though。　　Guess　there's　nothing　to　it。　　But　there's　Kelly　yonder。　　He'd　know。　He's　pretty　thick　with　Porteous'　men。　　Might　ask　him。〃

〃You　ask　him　and　let　me　know。　　I　got　to　go　on　the　floor。　　It's　nearly　time　for　the　gong。〃

Hirsch's　brother　found　Kelly　in　the　centre　of　a　group　of　settlement　clerks。

〃Say；　boy；〃　he　began；　〃you　ought　to　know。　　They　tell　me　there　may　be　trouble　between　England　and　Turkey　over　the　Higgins…Pasha　incident；　and　that　the　British　Foreign　Office　has　threatened　the　Sultan　with　an　ultimatum。　　I　can　see　the　market　if　that's　so。〃

〃Nothing　in　it；〃　retorted　Kelly。　　〃But　I'll　find