Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1912 — BURNING DAYLIGHT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BURNING DAYLIGHT

BY JACKLONDON

Authol? Of The Call Of The W/ld? White Fang*"Maft/hEdfuLre Illustrations By Dearborn MelvuL

(Copyright, 1910, by the New York Herald Company ) (Popyrleht. 1910, by the MacMillan Company.

CHAPTER VIII. Back at his hotel, though nearly'two In the morning, he founq the reporters waiting to interview, him. Next morning there were more. And thus, with blare of paper trumpet, was he received by New York. Once more, w-ith beating of tom-toms and wild hullaballoo, his picturesque figure strode across the printed sheet. The King of the Klondike, the hero of the Arctic, the thirty-million-dollar millionaire of the North, had come to New, York. V hat had he come lor? To trim the New \orkers as he had trimmed the Tonopah crowd in Nevada? They, were prepared for him to play, and, when heavy buying of Ward Valleg began, it was quickly decided that he was the operator. Financial gossip buzzed and hummed. He was after the Gugge: hammers once more. The story of Ophir was told over again and sensationalized until even Daylight scarcely recognized it. Still, it was ail grist to his mill. The stock gamblers were clearly befooled. Each day he increased his buying, and so eager were the sellers that Ward Valley rose but slowly. A wildly exciting time was his during the' week preceding Thursday the eighteenth. N'ot only was he gambling as he had never gambled before, but he was gambling at the biggest table in the world for stakes sq large that even the case-hardened habitues of that table were compelled to sit up. In spite of the unlimited selling, his persistent buying compelled Ward Valley steadily to rise, arid as Thursday approached, the situation’became acute. Something had to smash. How much Ward Valley was this Klondike grimbler going to buy? How- much could he buy? What was the Ward Valley crowd doing all this time? Daylight appreciated interviews w;ith them that appeared—interviews delightfully placid and non-committal. Leon Guggenhammer even hazarded the opinion that this Northland Croesus might possibly be making a mistake. But not that they oared, John Dowsett explained. “It is purely gambling from beginning to end,” were Nathaniel Letton’s words; “and we refuse to have anything to do with it or to take notice of it in any way.” During this time Daylight had several secret meetings with his partners —one with Leon Guggenhammer, one ■with John Dowsett, and two with Mr. Hb'wison. Beyond congratulations, they really, amounted to nothing; for, as he was informed, everything was going satisfactorily. But on Tuesday morning a rumor that was disconcerting came to Daylight's ears. It was also published in the Wall Street Journal, and it was to the effect, on apparently straight inside information, that on Thursday, when the directors of Ward Valley met, instead of the customary dividend being declared, an assessment would be levied. It was the first check Daylight had received. It came to him with a shock that if the thing were so he was a broken man. And it also came to him that all this colossal operating of his was being done on his own money. Dowsett, Guggenhammer and Letton were risking nothing. It was a panic, shortlived, it was true, but sharp enough while it lasted to make him remember Holdswerthy and the brick-yard, and to impel him to cancel all buying orders while he ruqhed to a telephone. “Nothing in it—only a rumor,” came Leon Guggenhammer’s throaty voice in the receiver. “As you know,” said Nathaniel Letton, “I am one of the directors, and I should certainly be aware of it were such action contemplated.” And John Dowsett: “I warned you against just such rumors. There is not an iota of truth in it—certainly not. ,1 tell you on my honor as a gentleman.” Heartily ashamed of himself for his temporary loss of nerve. Daylight returned to his task. The cessation of buying had turned the Stock Exchange into a bedlam, and d,own ail the line of stocks the bears were smashing: Ward Valley, as the apex, received the brunt of the shock, and was already beginning to tumble. Daylight calmly doubled bis buying orders. And all through Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning, he went on buying, while Ward Valley rose triumphantly higher. Still they sold, and still he bought,' exceeding his power l to buy many tifnes over, when delivery w,as taken into account. What of that? On this day the double dividend would be declared, he assured himself. The pinch of delivery would be on the shorts. They would be making terms with him. And then the thunderbolt struck. True to the rumor, Ward Valley levied the assessment. Daylight threw up bis arms. He verified the report and quit. Not alone Ward Valley, but all securities were being hammered down by the triumphant bears. As for Ward Valley, Daylight did not even trouble to learn if it had fetched bottom or was still tumbling. Not stunned, not even bewildered, while Wall Street

went mad, Daylight withdrew from the field to think it over. After a short conference with his brokers, he proceeded to his hotel on the wa;r picking up the evening papers and glancing at the head lines. BURNING DAYLIGHT CLEANED OUT. he read; DAYLIGHT GETS HIS; ’ ANOTHER WESTERNER FAILS TO FIND EASY MONEY. He passed up to his rooms, ordered a Martini cocktail, took off his shoes, and sat down to think. After half an hour he roused himself to take the drink, and as he felt the liquor pass warmingly through his body, his features relaxed into a slow, deliberate, yet genuine grin. He was laughing 'j ait himself. “Buncoed, by gosh!” he muttered. Then the grin died away, and his face grew bleak and serious. Leaving out. his interests in the several Western reclamation projects < which were still assessing heavily), he was a ruined man. But harder hit than this was his pride. He had been so easy. They had gold-bricked him, and lip had nothing to show for it. The simplest farmer would have had documents, while he had nothing but a gentleman's agreement, and a verbal one at that. Gentleman’s agreement! He snorted over it. John Dowsett's voice, just as he had heard it in the telephone receiver sounded in his ears the words, “On my honor as a gentleman.” They were sneak-thieves and swindlers, that was what they were, and they had given him the double-cross. The newspapers were right. He had come to New York to be trimmed, and Messrs. Dowsett, Letten and Guggenhammer had done it. He was a little fish, and they had played with him ten days—ample time in which to swallow him, along with his eleven millions. Of course, they had been unloading on him all the time, and now they were buying Ward ! Valley back for a song ere the market righted itself.

And Daylight sat and consumed cocktails and saw back in his life to Alaska, and lived over the grim years in which he had battled for his eleven millions. For awhile murder ate at his heart, __ and wild ideas and sketchy plans of killing his betrayers flashed through his wind. Daylight unlocked his grip and took out his automatic pistol—a big Colt’s .44. He released the safety catch with his thumb, and, operating the sliding outer barrel, ran the contents of the clip through the mechanism. The eight cartridges slid out in a stream. He refilled the clip, threw a cartridge into the chamber, and with the trigger at ful cock, thrust up the safety ratchet. He shoved the weapon into the side pocket of his coat, ordered another Martini, and resumed his seat. At ten o’clock he arose and pored over the city directory. Then he put on his shoes, took a cab, and departed into the night. Twice he changed cabs, and finally fetched up at the night office of a detective agency. He superintended the thing himself, laid down money" in advance in profuse quantities, selected the six men he needed, and gave them their instructions. Never, for so simple a task, had they been so well paid; for to each in addition to office charges, he gave a five-hundred-dollar bill, with the promise of another if be succeeded. Some time next day, he was convinced,, if not sooner, his three silent partners

would come together. To each one two of his detectives were to be attached. Time and place was all he wanted to learn. “Stop at nothing, boys,’’ were his final instructions. “I must have this information. Whatever you do, whatever happens, I’ll see you through." Returning to his hotel, he changed cabs as before, went up to his room, and with one more cocktail for a nightcap, went to bed and to sleep. In the morning he dressed and shaved, order-

ed breakfast and tne- newspapers sent up, and waited. But he did not drink. By nine o'clock his telephone began to ring and the reports to come in. Nathaniel Letton was taking the train at TarrytOwn. John Dowsett was coming down by the subway. Leon Guggenhammer bad not stirred out yet, though he was assuredly within. And in this fashion, with a map of the city spread out before him. Daylight followed tbe movements of his three men as they drew together. Nathaniel Letton was at his offices Jn the Mutual-Solander Building. Next arrived Guggenhammer. Dowsett was still in his own offices. But at eleven came the word that he also had arrived, and several minutes later Daylight was in a hired motor-car and speeding for *!>« Mutual-Solander Building. (To be Continued. 1

For a While Murder Ate at His Heart.