Atlastsomebodydid，butitwasnotthecaptain。
“He’ssendingforinstructions。”IwrotetoPinkerton。
“Formoney。”hewroteback。“ShallIstrikeout？Ithinkthisisthetime。”
Inodded。
“Thirtythousand。”saidPinkerton，makingaleapofcloseuponthreethousanddollars。
IcouldseedoubtinBellairs’seye；then，suddenresolution。
“Thirty-fivethousand。”saidhe。
“Fortythousand。”saidPinkerton。
Therewasalongpause，duringwhichBellairs’scountenancewasasabook；andthen，notmuchtoosoonfortheimpendinghammer，“Fortythousandandfivedollars。”saidhe。
PinkertonandIexchangedeloquentglances。Wewereofonemind。Bellairshadtriedabluff；nowheperceivedhismistake，andwasbiddingagainsttime；hewastryingtospinoutthesaleuntilthemessengerboyreturned。
“Forty-fivethousanddollars。”saidPinkerton：hisvoicewaslikeaghost’sandtotteredwithemotion。
“Forty-fivethousandandfivedollars。”saidBellairs。
“Fiftythousand。”saidPinkerton。
“Ibegyourpardon，Mr。Pinkerton。DidIhearyoumakeanadvance，sir？”askedtheauctioneer。
“I——Ihaveadifficultyinspeaking。”gaspedJim。“It’sfiftythousand，Mr。Borden。”
Bellairswasonhisfeetinamoment。“Auctioneer。”hesaid，“I
havetobegthefavourofthreemomentsatthetelephone。Inthismatter，IamactingonbehalfofacertainpartytowhomI
havejustwritten——“
“Ihavenothingtodowithanyofthis。”saidtheauctioneer，brutally。“Iamheretosellthiswreck。Doyoumakeanyadvanceonfiftythousand？”
“Ihavethehonourtoexplaintoyou，sir。”returnedBellairs，withamiserableassumptionofdignity。“Fiftythousandwasthefigurenamedbymyprincipal；butifyouwillgivemethesmallfavouroftwomomentsatthetelephone——“
“O，nonsense！”saidtheauctioneer。“Ifyoumakenoadvance，I’llknockitdowntoMr。Pinkerton。”
“Iwarnyou。”criedtheattorney，withsuddenshrillness。“Haveacarewhatyou’reabout。Youareheretosellfortheunderwriters，letmetellyou——nottoactforMr。DouglasLonghurst。Thissalehasbeenalreadydisgracefullyinterruptedtoallowthatpersontoholdaconsultationwithhisminions。Ithasbeenmuchcommentedon。”
“Therewasnocomplaintatthetime。”saidtheauctioneer，manifestlydiscountenanced。“Youshouldhavecomplainedatthetime。”
“Iamnotheretoconductthissale。”repliedBellairs；“Iamnotpaidforthat。”
“Well，Iam，yousee。”retortedtheauctioneer，hisimpudencequiterestored；andheresumedhissing-song。“Anyadvanceonfiftythousanddollars？Noadvanceonfiftythousand？Noadvance，gentlemen？Goingatfiftythousand，thewreckofthebrigFlyingScud——going——going——gone！”
“MyGod，Jim，canwepaythemoney？”Icried，asthestrokeofthehammerseemedtorecallmefromadream。
“It’sgottoberaised。”saidhe，whiteasasheet。“It’llbeahellofastrain，Loudon。Thecredit’sgoodforit，Ithink；butIshallhavetogetaround。Writemeachequeforyourstuff。MeetmeattheOccidentalinanhour。”
Iwrotemychequeatadesk，andIdeclareIcouldneverhaverecognisedmysignature。Jimwasgoneinamoment；Trenthadvanishedevenearlier；onlyBellairsremainedexchanginginsultswiththeauctioneer；and，behold！asIpushedmywayoutoftheexchange，whoshouldrunfulltiltintomyarms，butthemessengerboy？
ItwasbysonearamarginthatwebecametheownersoftheFlyingScud。
CHAPTERX。
INWHICHTHECREWVANISH。
AtthedooroftheexchangeIfoundmyselfalong-sideoftheshort，middle-agedgentlemanwhohadmadeanappearance，sovigorousandsobrief，inthegreatbattle。
“Congratulateyou，Mr。Dodd。”hesaid。“Youandyourfriendstucktoyourgunsnobly。”
“Nothankstoyou，sir。”Ireplied，“runningusupathousandatatime，andtemptingallthespeculatorsinSanFranciscotocomeandhaveatry。”
“O，thatwastemporaryinsanity。”saidhe；“andIthankthehigherpowersIamstillafreeman。Walkingthisway，Mr。
Dodd？I’llwalkalongwithyou。It’spleasantforanoldfogylikemyselftoseetheyoungbloodsinthering；I’vedonesomeprettywildgamblesinmytimeinthisverycity，whenitwasasmallerplaceandIwasayoungerman。Yes，Iknowyou，Mr。
Dodd。Bysight，ImaysayIknowyouextremelywell，youandyourfollowers，thefellowsinthekilts，eh？Pardonme。ButI
havethemisfortunetoownalittleboxontheSaucelitoshore。
I’llbegladtoseeyouthereanySunday——withoutthefellowsinkilts，youknow；andIcangiveyouabottleofwine，andshowyouthebestcollectionofArcticvoyagesintheStates。Morganismyname——JudgeMorgan——aWelshmanandaforty-niner。”
“O，ifyou’reapioneer。”criedI，“cometomeandI’llprovideyouwithanaxe。”
“You’llwantyouraxesforyourself，Ifancy。”hereturned，withoneofhisquicklooks。“Unlessyouhaveprivateknowledge，therewillbeagooddealofratherviolentwreckingtodobeforeyoufindthat——opium，doyoucallit？”
“Well，it’seitheropium，orwearestark，staringmad。”Ireplied。
“ButIassureyouwehavenoprivateinformation。WewentinasIsupposeyoudidyourselfonobservation。”
“Anobserver，sir？”inquiredthejudge。
“Imaysayitismytrade——or，rather，was。”saidI。
“Wellnow，andwhatdidyouthinkofBellairs？”heasked。
“Verylittleindeed。”saidI。
“Imaytellyou。”continuedthejudge，“thattome，theemploymentofafellowlikethatappearsinexplicable。Iknewhim；heknowsme，too；hehasoftenheardfrommeincourt；
andIassureyouthemanisutterlyblownupon；itisnotsafetotrusthimwithadollar；andherewefindhimdealinguptofiftythousand。Ican’tthinkwhocanhavesotrustedhim，butIamverysureitwasastrangerinSanFrancisco。”
“Someonefortheowners，Isuppose。”saidI。
“Surelynot！”exclaimedthejudge。“OwnersinLondoncanhavenothingtosaytoopiumsmuggledbetweenHongKongandSanFrancisco。Ishouldratherfancytheywouldbethelasttohearofit——untiltheshipwasseized。No；Iwasthinkingofthecaptain。Butwherewouldhegetthemoney？aboveall，afterhavinglaidoutsomuchtobuythestuffinChina？
Unless，indeed，hewereactingforsomeonein’Frisco；andinthatcase——herewegoroundagainintheviciouscircle——Bellairswouldnothavebeenemployed。”
“IthinkIcanassureyouitwasnotthecaptain。”saidI；“forheandBellairsarenotacquainted。”
“Wasn’tthatthecaptainwiththeredfaceandcolouredhandkerchief？HeseemedtometofollowBellairs’sgamewiththemostthrillinginterest。”objectedMr。Morgan。
“Perfectlytrue。”saidI；“Trentisdeeplyinterested；heverylikelyknewBellairs，andhecertainlyknewwhathewastherefor；butIcanputmyhandinthefirethatBellairsdidn’tknowTrent。”
“Anothersingularity。”observedthejudge。“Well，wehavehadacapitalforenoon。Butyoutakeanoldlawyer’sadvice，andgettoMidwayIslandasfastasyoucan。There’sapotofmoneyonthetable，andBellairsandCo。arenotthementostickattrifles。”
WiththispartingcounselJudgeMorganshookhandsandmadeoffalongMontgomeryStreet，whileIenteredtheOccidentalHotel，onthestepsofwhichwehadfinishedourconversation。Iwaswellknowntotheclerks，andassoonasitwasunderstoodthatIwastheretowaitforPinkertonandlunch，Iwasinvitedtoaseatinsidethecounter。Here，then，inaretiredcorner，Iwasbeginningtocomealittletomyselfafterthesesoviolentexperiences，whenwhoshouldcomehurryingin，andafteramomentwithaclerkflytooneofthetelephoneboxesbutMr。HenryD。Bellairsinperson？Callitwhatyouwill，buttheimpulsewasirresistible，andIroseandtookaplaceimmediatelyattheman’sback。ItmaybesomeexcusethatIhadoftenpractisedthisveryinnocentformofeavesdroppinguponstrangers，andforfun。Indeed，Iscarceknowanythingthatgivesalowerviewofman’sintelligencethantooverhearasyouthusdoonesideofacommunication。
“Central。”saidtheattorney，“2241and584B“orsomesuchnumbers——“Who’sthat？——Allright——Mr。Bellairs——Occidental；
thewiresarefouledintheotherplace——Yes，aboutthreeminutes——Yes——Yes——Yourfigure，Iamsorrytosay——No——Ihadnoauthority——Neithermorenorless——Ihaveeveryreasontosupposeso——O，Pinkerton，MontanaBlock——Yes——Yes——Verygood，sir——Asyouwill，sir——Disconnect584B。”
Bellairsturnedtoleave；atsightofmebehindhim，upflewhishands，andhewincedandcringed，asthoughinfearofbodilyattack。“O，it’syou！”hecried；andthen，somewhatrecovered，“Mr。Pinkerton’spartner，Ibelieve？Iampleasedtoseeyou，sir——tocongratulateyouonyourlatesuccess。”Andwiththathewasgone，obsequiouslybowingashepassed。
Andnowamadcaphumourcameuponme。ItwasplainBellairshadbeencommunicatingwithhisprincipal；Iknewthenumber，ifnotthename；shouldIringupatonce，itwasmorethanlikelyhewouldreturninpersontothetelephone；whyshouldnotIdashvocallyintothepresenceofthismysteriousperson，andhavesomefunformymoney。Ipressedthebell。
“Central。”saidI，“connectagain2241and584B。”
Aphantomcentralrepeatedthenumbers；therewasapause，andthen“Twotwofourone。”cameinatinyvoiceintomyear——
avoicewiththeEnglishsing-song——thevoiceplainlyofagentleman。“Isthatyouagain，Mr。Bellairs？”ittrilled。“Itellyouit’snouse。Isthatyou，Mr。Bellairs？Whoisthat？”
“Ionlywanttoputasinglequestion。”saidI，civilly。“WhydoyouwanttobuytheFlyingScud？”
Noanswercame。Thetelephonevibratedandhummedinminiaturewithallthenumeroustalkofagreatcity；butthevoiceof2241wassilent。OnceandtwiceIputmyquestion；
butthetiny，sing-songEnglishvoice，Iheardnomore。Theman，then，hadfled？fledfromanimpertinentquestion？Itscarceseemednaturaltome；unlessontheprinciplethatthewickedfleethwhennomanpursueth。Itookthetelephonelistandturnedthenumberup：“2241，Mrs。Keane，res。942
MissionStreet。”Andthat，shortofdrivingtothehouseandrenewingmyimpertinenceinperson，wasallthatIcoulddo。
Yet，asIresumedmyseatinthecorneroftheoffice，Iwasconsciousofanewelementoftheuncertain，theunderhand，perhapseventhedangerous，inouradventure；andtherewasnowanewpictureinmymentalgallery，tohangbesidethatofthewreckunderitscanopyofsea-birdsandofCaptainTrentmoppinghisredbrow——thepictureofamanwithatelephonedice-boxtohisear，andatthesmallvoiceofasinglequestion，strucksuddenlyaswhiteasashes。
FromtheseconsiderationsIwasawakenedbythestrikingoftheclock。AnhourandnearlytwentyminuteshadelapsedsincePinkertondepartedforthemoney：hewastwentyminutesbehindtime；andtomewhoknewsowellhisgluttonousdespatchofbusinessandhadsofrequentlyadmiredhisironpunctuality，thefactspokevolumes。Thetwentyminutesslowlystretchedintoanhour；thehourhadnearlyextendedtoasecond；andIstillsatinmycorneroftheoffice，orpacedthemarblepavementofthehall，apreytothemostwretchedanxietyandpenitence。ThehourforlunchwasnearlyoverbeforeIrememberedthatIhadnoteaten。HeavenknowsI