oars, this sharp-witted Boston captain; he pondered
as he eyed the New York man thus met on this
western side. It was a long proceeding, carefully se-
lecting and laying in this caro^o, in which twenty or
more shippers were interested, and guiding it safely
through divers-tempered winds, over 16,000 miles of
ocean, to this very far-away port — it was a long pro-
ceeding to be disposed of summarily, for three months
would have been a short time ordinarily in which to
have sold the cargo. Three months ; and fifty per
cent, would have been regarded as a good round
profit. " Come, captain, if you want to trade, and I
take it that is what you are here for," said Ross, now
growing a little nervous, " how much advance, and
the money down?" The skipper looked him steadily
in the eye, glanced significantly at Howard who was
climbing up the side of the vessel, and answered slow-
ly, one hundred per cent." "I'll take it,' Ross
said. "This will bind the bargain," he added, as he
passed over the handful of money. " And I'll make
those woollen shirts pay for all the damned truck
here," said the purchaser, as he regained his boat,
swearing thus mildly not through lack of feeling, but
because he was in training for a position as teacher in
Wheeler's forth-coming Sabbath-school.
And the gentle Brannan, Sam ; he learned to flaunt the Mormon's money bravely at the auctions. Sam delighted in auctions. Never was he so happy as when perched on a high box smoking a long cheroot, and sinking the small blade of his sharp knife into the soft pine. Gillespie was then at the head of the China trade, and the disposal of cargoes by auction was daily gaining favor. It saved so much trouble in the way of handling, and warehousing, and charg- ing, and collecting, and prices were often better tlian when jobbed out. One day, pursuant to notice, Gil- lespie put up a cargo of tea to sell. At the hour, there upon his box sat Sam, smoking, and spitting, and whittling, thinking perhaps of the extravagant