The Wrecker

so still) that stood out alone among its brethren in the West; the others, down to their smallest item, were defaced with capitals, head-lines, alliterations, swaggering misquotations, and t

to me, but was admittedly the best informed

s in the fire. My notion, on the other hand, is, when you see a dollar lying, pick it up!

med; “haven’t we Depew City, one of God’s

py; these Occidental reporter fellows have no fire; but th

BRITISH BRIG,

ottom sandy, with coral patches. Here he was detained seven days by a calm, the crew suffering severely from the water, which was gone quite bad; and it was only on the evening of the 12th, that a little wind sprang up, coming puffy out of N.N.E. Late as it was, Captain Trent immediately weighed anchor and attempted to get out. While the vessel was beating up to the passage, the wind took a sudden lull, and then veered squally into N. and even N.N.W., driving the brig ashore on the sand at about twenty minutes before six o’clock. John Wallen, a native of Finland, and Charles Holdorsen, a native of Sweden, were drowned alongside, in attempting to lower a boat, neither being able to swim, the squall very dark, and the noise of the breakers drowning everything. At the same time John Brown, another of the crew, had his arm broken by the falls. Captain Trent further informed the OCCIDENTAL reporter, that the brig struck heavily at first bows on, he supposes upon coral; that she then drove over the obstacle, and now lies in sand, much down by the head and with a list to st

alace Hotel. The gallant officer was somewhat pressed for time, but confirmed the account given by Captain Trent in all particulars. He added

t is a good, honest, plain piece of work, and tells the story clearly. I see only

you know that

even heard the tale, or might have heard it, from Capta

” cried Pinkerton. “The point is, how

t pay?”

y? Don’t you see the cargo’s valued at ten thousand? Schooners are begging just now; I can get my pick of th

“the captain himself dec

have to find is the proportion, and one look at the manifest will settle that. I’ve rung up Lloyd’s on purpose; the captain is to meet me there in an hour, and then I’ll be

d I. “Before you pick that wreck, you’ve g

eplied Jim, with the pro

do you guess t

you suppose I bought the James L. Moody for two hundred and fifty, her boats alone worth four times the money? Because my name stood first in the list. Well it

c auction conducted in a subterranean vault? Could a

d the plant; we’ve got the connection; we can afford to go higher than any outsider; there’s two million dollars in the ring; and we stick at nothing. Or suppose anybody did buy over our head — I tell you,

ed. “You were once an outsider

ld give me points. Nobody knew I had an eye on wrecks till one fine morning I dropped in upon Douglas B. Longhurst in his den, gave him all the facts and figures, and put it to him straight: “Do you want me in

; reflecting to myself that of all forms of the dollar hunt, this wrecking had by far the most address to my imagination. Even as I went down town, in the brisk bustle and chill of the familiar San Francisco thoroughfares, I was haunted by a vision of the wreck, baking so far away in

nched of lip and more than usually erect of

?” I

y his calculation, if there’s thirty mats of it saved, it’s an outside figure. However, the manifest was cheerier. There’s about five thousand dollars of the whole value in silks and teas and nut-oils and that, all in the

would have called themselves) were very boyish; and it was plain they were here in mirth, and not on business. Behind, and certainly in strong contrast to these gentlemen, I could detect the figure of my friend Captain Trent, come (as I could very well imagine that a captain would) to hear the last of his old vessel. Since yesterday, he had rigged himself anew in ready-made black clothes, not very aptly fitted; the upper left-hand pocket showing a corner of silk handkerchief, the lower, on the other side, bulging with

would call a perfectly safe investment; nay, gentlemen, he would go further, he would put a figure on it: he had no hesitation (had that bold auctioneer) in putting it in figures; and in his view, what with this and that, and one thing and another, the purchaser might expect to clear a sum equal to the entire estimated value

hat gentleman, plainly ogling Pinkerton — “wha

dollars,” s

, “one hundred dollars. No other gentleman inclined to make a

as watching with something between sympathy and amazement the undisguised emo

,” said a

e all equally in the open secret of the ring, we

,” said the auctio

eemed (as in the disease called Saint Vitus’s dance) to be imperfectly under control; he was badly dressed; he carried himself with an air of shrinking assumption, as though he were proud to be where he was and to do what he was doing, and yet half e

and scribbled a line in pencil, turned, beckoned a messenger boy, and whispered, “To Longhurst

ed dollars

y,” said

ely,” whispered

d my friend. “Well, he’ll have to have a lesson. Wait

y,” came

coat was unbuttoned and all flying open; the new silk handkerchief in busy requisition; and the man’s eye, of a clear sail

t Trent. Bet you what you p

s some blame’ thing going on

ensation in the faces opposite, and looking over my shoulder, saw a very large, bl

he; and then to Jim, “Well, P

on my own responsibility, Mr. Longhurst,” he adde

tified uncle. “Well, you can drop out now; we take hold ourselves. You can run it u

e?” asked Pinkerton.

the expensive young gentlemen a folded paper. It was passed round from one to another till it came t

th money, that’s a sure thing. Suppose you tried a big bluff? I think I would, Pink. Well, ta-ta! You

low

kerton, looking reverently after him as he departed. “

s, and even Bellairs, all well aware that Mr. Longhurst was the principal, and Jim but a speaking

Pinkerton. Any ad

on the big bluff, replie

there was a stir among the onlookers, and what was of more i

, Jim,” said I. “T

ousand,”

y,” said

ond, Trent had once more changed colour at the thousand leap, and his relief, when he heard the answering fifty was manifest and unaffected. Here then was a problem: both were presumably in the same interest, yet the one was not in the confidence of the other. Nor was this all. A few bids later it chanced that my eye encountered that of Captain Tren

sand; another minute, and all would be too late. Tearing a leaf from my sketch-book, and inspired (I suppose) by vanity in my own powe

then his eyes lightened, and turning again to the auc

said monoto

d, still on paper: “I can’t imagine; but there’s something. Wa

ondering; and when Pinkerton had offered ten thousand dollars (the outside value of the cargo, even were it safe in San Francisco Bay) and Bell

his face changed, and I could see that he had guessed, or thought that he had guessed, the myster

in big, tremulous half-text, and with a

d a bulkhead, or in some cunning hollow of the beams, a nest of the valuable poison. Doubtless there was some such treasure on the Flying

ery member. To any stranger entering (say) in the course of the fifteenth thousand, we should probably have cut a poorer

conspicuously and repeatedly shook his head at Jim. Jim’s answer was a note of two words: “My racket!” which, wh

nter the ring with manifest expectation; he saw him depart, and the bids continue, with manifest surprise and disapp

thousand

, taking a leaf out o

usand,” fro

Jim, with a litt

cted at us, I could see we were supposed to have some private information. And here an incident occurred highly typical of San Francisco. Close at my back there had stood for some time a stout, middle-aged gentleman, with pleasant eyes, hair pleasantly gri

scribble a note between the bids. I imagined naturally enough that it would go to Captain Trent; but when it was done, and the

y!” I heard him say. “Somebo

did, but it was

instructions,” I w

k. “Shall I strike out? I

odd

erton, making a leap of clos

eye; then, sudden resolution.

sand,” said

ce was as a book; and then, not much too soon for the imp

had tried a bluff; now he perceived his mistake, and was bidding against

d Pinkerton: his voice was like a

nd and five dollar

sand,” said

on. Did I hear you make an adva

peaking,” gasped Jim. “It’s

o beg the favour of three moments at the telephone. In this matter, I

e auctioneer, brutally. “I am here to sell this

le assumption of dignity. “Fifty thousand was the figure named by my principa

er. “If you make no advance, I’l

for the underwriters, let me tell you — not to act for Mr. Douglas Longhurst. This sale has been already disgra

the auctioneer, manifestly discountenance

his sale,” replied Bellairs

is sing-song. “Any advance on fifty thousand dollars? No advance on fifty thousand? No advance

” I cried, as the stroke of the ham

rain, Loudon. The credit’s good for it, I think; but I shall have to get aro

ment; Trent had vanished even earlier; only Bellairs remained exchanging insults with the auctioneer; and,

at we became the owners of th