the pit-第51节

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〃No；　but　he's　a　solid；　conservative　cash　grain　man；〃　answered　Freye；　〃who　hasn't　been　associated　with　speculating　for　years。　　Crookes　has　got　to　have　that　element　in　the　clique　before　we　can　approach　Stires　&　Co。　　We　may　have　to　get　a　pile　of　money　from　them；　and　they're　apt　to　be　scary　and　cautious。　　Cressler　being　in；　do　you　see；　gives　the　clique　a　substantial；　conservative　character。　　You　let　Crookes　manage　it。　　He　knows　his　business。〃

〃Say；〃　exclaimed　Sweeny；　an　idea　occurring　to　him；　〃I　thought　Crookes　was　going　to　put　us　wise　to…day。　　He　must　know　by　now　who　the　Big　Bull　is。〃

〃No　doubt　he　does　know；〃　answered　the　other。　　〃He'll　tell　us　when　he's　ready。　　But　I　think　I　could　copper　the　individual。　　There　was　a　great　big　jag　of　wheat　sold　to　Liverpool　a　little　while　ago　through　Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。；　who've　been　acting　for　Curtis　Jadwin　for　a　good　many　years。〃

〃Oh；　Jadwin；　hey？　　Hi！　we're　after　big　game　now；　I'm　thinking。〃

〃But　look　here；〃　warned　Freye。　　〃Here's　a　point。　Cressler　is　not　to　know　by　the　longest　kind　of　chalk；　anyhow　not　until　he's　so　far　in；　he　can't　pull　out。　　He　and　Jadwin　are　good　friends；　I'm　told。　　Hello；　it's　raining　a　little。　　Well；　I've　got　to　be　moving。　　See　you　at　lunch　to…morrow。〃

As　Cressler　turned　into　La　Salle　Street　the　light　sprinkle　of　rain　suddenly　swelled　to　a　deluge；　and　he　had　barely　time　to　dodge　into　the　portico　of　the　Illinois　Trust　to　escape　a　drenching。　　All　the　passers…　by　close　at　hand　were　making　for　the　same　shelter；　and　among　these　Cressler　was　surprised　to　see　Curtis　Jadwin；　who　came　running　up　the　narrow　lane　from　the　cafe　entrance　of　the　Grand　Pacific　Hotel。

〃Hello！　Hello；　J。；〃　he　cried；　when　his　friend　came　panting　up　the　steps；　〃as　the　whale　said　to　Jonah；　'Come　in　out　of　the　wet。'〃

The　two　friends　stood　a　moment　under　the　portico；　their　coat　collars　turned　up；　watching　the　scurrying　in　the　street。

〃Well；〃　said　Cressler；　at　last；　〃I　see　we　got　'dollar　wheat'　this　morning。〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　Jadwin；　nodding；　〃'dollar　wheat。'〃

〃I　suppose；〃　went　on　Cressler；　〃I　suppose　you　are　sorry；　now　that　you're　not　in　it　any　more。〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　replied　Jadwin；　nibbling　off　the　end　of　a　cigar。　　〃No；　I'mI'm　just　as　well　out　of　it。〃

〃And　it's　for　good　and　all　this　time；　eh？〃

〃For　good　and　all。〃

〃Well；〃　commented　Cressler；　〃some　one　else　has　begun　where　you　left　off；　I　guess。　　This　Unknown　Bull；　I　mean。　　All　the　boys　are　trying　to　find　out　who　he　is。　Crookes；　though；　was　saying　to　meCal　Crookes；　you　knowhe　was　saying　he　didn't　care　who　he　was。　　Crookes　is　out　of　the　market；　too；　I　understandand　means　to　keep　out；　he　says；　till　the　Big　Bull　gets　tired。　Wonder　who　the　Big　Bull　is。〃

〃Oh；　there　isn't　any　Big　Bull；〃　blustered　Jadwin。　〃There's　simply　a　lot　of　heavy　buying；　or　maybe　there　might　be　a　ring　of　New　York　men　operating　through　Gretry。　　I　don't　know；　and　I　guess　I'm　like　Crookes；　I　don't　carenow　that　I'm　out　of　the　game。　　Real　estate　is　too　lively　now　to　think　of　anything　else；　keeps　me　on　the　keen　jump　early　and　late。　　I　tell　you　what；　Charlie；　this　city　isn't　half　grown　yet。　　And　do　you　know；　I've　noticed　another　thingcities　grow　to　the　westward。　　I've　got　a　building　and　loan　association　going；　out　in　the　suburbs　on　the　West　Side；　that's　a　dandy。　　Well；　looks　as　though　the　rain　had　stopped。　Remember　me　to　madam。　　So　long；　Charlie。〃

On　leaving　Cressler　Jadwin　went　on　to　his　offices　in　The　Rookery；　close　at　hand。　　But　he　had　no　more　than　settled　himself　at　his　desk；　when　he　was　called　up　on　his　telephone。

〃Hello！〃　said　a　small；　dry　transformation　of　Gretry's　voice。　　〃Hello；　is　that　you；　J。？　　Well；　in　the　matter　of　that　cash　wheat　in　Duluth；　I've　bought　that　for　you。〃

〃All　right；〃　answered　Jadwin；　then　he　added；　〃I　guess　we　had　better　have　a　long　talk　now。〃

〃I　was　going　to　propose　that；〃　answered　the　broker。　〃Meet　me　this　evening　at　seven　at　the　Grand　Pacific。　It's　just　as　well　that　we're　not　seen　together　nowadays。　　Don't　ask　for　me。　　Go　right　into　the　smoking…room。　　I'll　be　there。　　And；　by　the　way；　I　shall　expect　a　reply　from　Minneapolis　about　half…past　five　this　afternoon。　　I　would　like　to　be　able　to　get　at　you　at　once　when　that　comes　in。　　Can　you　wait　down　for　that？〃

〃Well；　I　_was_　going　home；〃　objected　Jadwin。　　〃I　wasn't　home　to　dinner　last　night；　and　Mrs。　Jadwin〃

〃This　is　pretty　important；　you　know；〃　warned　the　broker。　　〃And　if　I　call　you　up　on　your　residence　telephone；　there's　always　the　chance　of　somebody　cutting　in　and　overhearing　us。〃

〃Oh；　very　well；　then；〃　assented　Jadwin。　　〃I'll　call　it　a　day。　　I'll　get　home　for　luncheon　to…morrow。　　It　can't　be　helped。　　By　the　way；　I　met　Cressler　this　afternoon；　Sam；　and　he　seemed　sort　of　suspicious　of　things；　to　me　as　though　he　had　an　inkling〃

〃Better　hang　up；〃　came　back　the　broker's　voice。　〃Better　hang　up；　J。　　There's　big　risk　telephoning　like　this。　　I'll　see　you　to…night。　　Good…by。〃

And　so　it　was　that　about　half　an　hour　later　Laura　was　called　to　the　telephone　in　the　library。

〃Oh；　not　coming　home　at　all　to…night？〃　she　cried　blankly　in　response　to　Jadwin's　message。

〃It's　just　impossible；　old　girl；〃　he　answered。

〃But　why？〃　she　insisted。

〃Oh；　business；　this　building　and　loan　association　of　mine。〃

〃Oh；　I　know　it　can't　be　that。　　Why　don't　you　let　Mr。　Gretry　manage　your〃

But　at　this　point　Jadwin；　the　warning　of　Gretry　still　fresh　in　his　mind；　interrupted　quickly：

〃I　must　hang　up　now；　Laura。　　Good…by。　　I'll　see　you　to…　morrow　noon　and　explain　it　all　to　you。　　Good…by。。。。　Laura。。。。　　Hello！　。。。　Are　you　there　yet？　。。。　Hello；　hello！〃

But　Jadwin　had　heard　in　the　receiver　the　rattle　and　click　as　of　a　tiny　door　closing。　　The　receiver　was　silent　and　dead；　and　he　knew　that　his　wife；　disappointed　and　angry；　had　〃hung　up〃　without　saying　good…by。

The　days　passed。　　Soon　another　week　had　gone　by。　　The　wheat　market　steadied　down　after　the　dollar　mark　was　reached；　and　for　a　few　days　a　calmer　period　intervened。　Down　beneath　the　surface；　below　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　currents；　the　great　forces　were　silently　at　work　reshaping　the　〃situation。〃　　Millions　of　dollars　were　beginning　to　be　set　in　motion　to　govern　the　millions　of　bushels　of　wheat。　　At　the　end　of　the　third　week　of　the　month　Freye　reported　to　Crookes　that　Cressler　was　〃in；〃　and　promptly　negotiations　were　opened　between　the　clique　and　the　great　banking　house　of　the　Stires。　　But　meanwhile　Jadwin　and　Gretry；　foreseeing　no　opposition；　realising　the　incalculable　advantage　that　their　knowledge　of　the　possibility　of　a　〃corner〃　gave　them；　were；　quietly　enough；　gathering　in　the　grain。　　As　early　as　the　end　of　March　Jadwin；　as　incidental　to　his　contemplated　corner　of　May　wheat；　had　bought　up　a　full　half　of　the　small　supply　of　cash　wheat　in　Duluth；　Chicago；　Liverpool　and　Parissome　twenty　million　bushels；　and　against　this　had　sold　short　an　equal　amount　of　the　July　option。　　Having　the　actual　wheat　in　hand　he　could　not　lose。　　If　wheat　went　up；　his　twenty　million　bushels　were　all　the　more　valuable；　if　it　went　down；　he　covered　his　short　sales　at　a　profit。　　And　all　the　while；　steadily；　persistently；　he　bought　May　wheat；　till　Gretry's　book　showed　him　to　be　possessed　of　over　twenty　million　bushels　of　the　grain　deliverable　for　that　month。

But　all　this　took　not　only　his　every　minute　of　time；　but　his　every　thought；　his　every　consideration。　　He　who　had　only　so　short　a　while　before　considered　the　amount　of　five　million　bushels　burdensome；　demanding　careful　attention；　was　now　called　upon　to　watch；　govern；　and　control　the　tremendous　forces　latent　in　a　line　of　forty　million。　　At　times　he　remembered　the　Curtis　Jadwin　of　the　spring　before　his　marriage；　the　Curtis　Jadwin　who　had　sold　a　pitiful　million　on　the　strength　of　the　news　of　the　French　import　duty；　and　had　considered　the　deal　〃big。〃　　Well；　he　was　a　different　man　since　that　time。　Then　he　had　been　suspicious　of　speculation；　had　feared　it　even。　　Now　he　had　discovered　that　there　were　in　him　powers；　capabilities；　and　a　breadth　of　grasp　hitherto　unsuspected。　　He　could　control　the　Chicago　wheat　market；　and　the　man　who　could　do　that　might　well　call　himself　〃great；〃　without　presumption。　　He　knew　that　he　overtopped　them　allGretry；　the　Crookes　gang；　the　arrogant；　sneering　Bears；　all　the　men　of　the　world　of　the　Board　of　Trade。　　He　was　stronger；　bigger；　shrewder　than　them　all。　　A　few　days　now　would　show；　when　they　would　all　wake　to　the　fact　that　wheat；　which　they　had　promised　to　deliver　before　they　had　it　in　hand；　was　not　to　be　got　except　from　himand　at　whatever　price　he　chose　to　impose。　　He　could　exact　from　them　a　hundred　dollars　a　bushel　if　he　chose；　and　they　must　pay　him　the　price　or　become　bankrupts。

By　now　his　mind　was　upon　this　one　great　factMay　Wheatcontinually。　　It　was　with　him　the　instant　he　woke　in　the　morning。　　It　kept　him　company　during　his　hasty　breakfast；　in　the　rhythm　of　his　horses'　hoofs；　as　the　team　carried　him　down　town　he　heard；　〃Wheatwheat　wheat；　wheatwheatwheat。〃　　No　sooner　did　he　enter　La　Salle　Street；　than　the　roar　of　traffic　came　to　his　ears　as　the　roar　of　the　torrent　of　wheat　which　drove　through　Chicago　from　the　Western　farms　to　the　mills　and　bakeshops　of　Europe。　　There　at　the　foot　of　the　street　the　torrent　swirled　once　upon　itself；　forty　million　strong；　in　the　eddy　which　he　told　hims