the cost-第52章

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In　a　distant　part　of　the　field　all　this　time　was　posted　the　commander…in…chief　of　the　army　of　attack。　　Like　all　wise　commanders　in　all　well…conducted　battles；　he　was　far　removed　from　the　blinding　smoke；　from　the　distracting　confusion。　　He　had　placed　himself　where　he　could　hear；　see；　instantly　direct；　without　being　disturbed　by　trifling　reverse　or　success；　by　unimportant　rumors　to　vast　proportions　blown。

To　play　his　game　for　dominion　or　destruction　John　Dumont　had　had　himself　arrayed　in　a　wine…colored；　wadded　silk　dressing…gown　over　his　white　silk　pajamas　and　had　stretched　himself　on　a　divan　in　his　sitting…room　in　his　palace。　　A　telephone　and　a　stock…ticker　within　easy　reach　were　his　field…glasses　and　his　aidesthe　stock…ticker　would　show　him　second　by　second　the　precise　posture　of　the　battle；　the　telephone　would　enable　him　to　direct　it　to　the　minutest　manoeuver。

The　telephone　led　to　the　ear　of　his　chief　of　staff；　Tavistock；　who　was　at　his　desk　in　his　privatest　office　in　the　Mills　Building；　about　him　telephones　straight　to　the　ears　of　the　division　commanders。　　None　of　these　knew　who　was　his　commander；　indeed；　none　knew　that　there　was　to　be　a　battle　or；　after　the　battle　was　on；　that　they　were　part　of　one　of　its　two　contending　armies。　　They　would　blindly　obey　orders；　ignorant　who　was　aiming　the　guns　they　fired　and　at　whom　those　guns　were　aimed。　　Such　conditions　would　have　been　fatal　to　the　barbaric　struggles　for　supremacy　which　ambition　has　waged　through　all　the　past；　they　are　ideal　conditions　for　these　modern　conflicts　of　the　market　which　more　and　more　absorb　the　ambitions　of　men。　　Instead　of　shot　and　shell　and　regiments　of　〃cannon　food；〃　there　are　battalions　of　capital；　the　paper　certificates　of　the　stored…up　toil　or　trickery　of　men；　instead　of　mangled　bodies　and　dead；　there　are　minds　in　the　torment　of　financial　peril　or　numb　with　the　despair　of　financial　ruin。　　But　the　stakes　are　the　same　old　stakespower　and　glory　and　wealth　for　a　few；　thousands　on　thousands　dragged　or　cozened　into　the　battle　in　whose　victory　they　share　scantily；　if　at　all；　although　they　bear　its　heaviest　losses　on　both　sides。

It　was　half…past　eight　o'clock　when　Dumont　put　the　receiver　to　his　ear　and　greeted　Tavistock　in　a　strong；　cheerful　voice。　　〃Never　felt　better　in　my　life；〃　was　his　answer　to　Tavistock's　inquiry　as　to　his　health。　　〃Even　old　Sackett　admits　I'm　in　condition。　　But　he　says　I　must　have　no　irritationsso；　be　careful　to　carry　out　orders。〃

He　felt　as　well　as　he　said。　　His　body　seemed　the　better　for　its　rest　and　purification；　for　its　long　freedom　from　his　occasional　but　terrific　assaults　upon　it；　for　having　got　rid　of　the　superfluous　flesh　which　had　been　swelling　and　weighting　it。

He　made　Tavistock　repeat　all　the　orders　he　had　given　him；　to　assure　himself　he　had　not　been　misunderstood。　　As　he　listened　to　the　rehearsal　of　his　own　shrewd　plans　his　eyes　sparkled。　　〃I'll　bag　the　lastof　them；〃　he　muttered；　and　his　lips　twisted　into　a　smile　at　which　Culver　winced。

When　the　ticker　clicked　the　first　quotation　of　Great　Lakes　Dumont　said：　　〃Now；　clear　out；　Culver！　　And　shut　the　door　after　you；　and　let　no　one　interrupt　me　until　I　call。〃　　He　wished　to　have　no　restraint　upon　his　thoughts；　no　eyes　to　watch　his　face；　no　ears　to　hear　what　the　fortune　of　the　battle　might　wring　from　him。

As　the　ticker　pushed　out　the　news　of　the　early　declines　and　recoveries　in　Great　Lakes；　Tavistock　leading　the　Fanning…Smith　crowd　on　to　make　heavier　and　heavier　plunges；　Dumont　could　see　in　imagination　the　battle…fieldthe　floor　of　the　Stock　Exchangeas　plainly　as　if　he　were　there。

The　battle　began　with　a　languid　cannonade　between　the　two　seemingly　opposed　parts　of　Dumont's　army。　　Under　cover　of　this　he　captured　most　of　the　available　actual　shares　of　Great　Lakesvaluable　aids　toward　making　his　position；　his　〃corner；〃　impregnable。　　But　before　he　had　accomplished　his　full　purpose　Zabriskie；　nominal　lieutenant…commander；　actual　commander　of　the　Fanning…Smith　forces；　advanced　to　give　battle。　　Instead　of　becoming　suspicious　at　the　steadiness　of　the　price　under　his　attacks　upon　it；　Zabriskie　was　lured　on　to　sell　more　of　those　Great　Lakes　shares　which　he　did　not　have。　　And　he　beamed　from　his　masked　position　as　he　thought　of　the　batteries　he　was　holding　in　reserve　for　his　grand　movement　to　batter　down　the　price　of　the　stock　late　in　the　day；　and　capture　these　backers　of　the　property　that　was　supposed　to　be　under　the　protection　of　the　high　and　honorable　Fanning…Smiths。

He　was　still　thinking　along　this　line；　as　he　stood　aloof　and　apparently　disinterested；　when　Dumont　began　to　close　in　upon　him。　　Zabriskie；　astonished　by　this　sudden　tremendous　fire；　was　alarmed　when　under　its　protection　the　price　advanced。　　He　assaulted　in　force　with　large　selling　orders；　but　the　price　pushed　on　and　the　fierce　cannonade　of　larger　and　larger　buying　orders　kept　up。　　When　Great　Lakes　had　mounted　in　a　dozen　bounds　from　one　hundred　and　seven　to　one　hundred　and　thirty…nine；　he　for　the　first　time　realized　that　he　was　facing　not　an　unorganized　speculating　public　but　a　compact　army；　directed　by　a　single　mind　to　a　single　purpose。　　〃A　lunatica　lot　of　lunatics；〃　he　said；　having　not　the　faintest　suspicion　of　the　reason　for　the　creation　of　these　conditions　of　frenzy。　　Still；　if　this　rise　continued　or　was　not　reversed　the　Fanning…Smiths　would　be　ruinedby　whom？　　〃Some　of　those　Chicago　bluffers；〃　he　finally　decided。　　〃I　must　throw　a　scare　into　I　them。〃

He　could　have　withdrawn　from　the　battle　then　with　a　pitiful　remnant　of　the　Fanning…Smiths　and　their　associatesthat　is；　he　thought　he　could；　for　he　did　not　dream　of　the　existence　of　the　〃corner。〃　　But　he　chose　the　opposite　course。　　He　flung　off　his　disguise　and　boldly　attacked　the　stock　with　selling　orders　openly　in　the　name　of　the　Fanning…Smiths。

〃When　they　see　us　apparently　unloading　our　own　ancestral　property　I　think　they'll　take　to　their　heels；〃　he　said。　　But　his　face　was　pale　as　he　awaited　the　effect　of　his　assault。

The　price　staggered；　trembled。　　The　clamor　of　the　battle　alarmed　those　in　the　galleries　of　the　Stock　ExchangeZabriskie's　brokers　selling；　the　brokers　of　the　mysterious　speculator　buying；　the　speculating　public　through　its　brokers　joining　in　on　either　side；　men　shrieking　into　each　other's　faces　as　they　danced　round　and　round　the　Great　Lakes　pillar。　　The　price　went　down；　went　up；　went　down；　down；　downZabriskie　had　hurled　selling　orders　for　nearly　fifty　thousand　shares　at　it　and　Dumont　had　commanded　his　guns　to　cease　firing。　　He　did　not　dare　take　any　more　offerings；　he　had　reached　the　end　of　the　ammunition　he　had　planned　to　expend　at　that　particular　stage　of　the　battle。

The　alarm　spread　and；　although　Zabriskie　ceased　selling；　the　price　continued　to　fall　under　the　assaults　of　the　speculating　public；　mad　to　get　rid　of　that　which　its　own　best　friends　were　so　eagerly　and　so　frankly　throwing　over。　　Down；　down；　down　to　one　hundred　and　twenty；　to　one　hundred　and　ten；　to　one　hundred　and　five

Zabriskie　telephoned　victory　to　his　nominal　commander；　lifting　him；　weak　and　trembling；　from　the　depths　into　which　he　had　fallen；　to　an　at　least　upright　position　upon　his　embossed　leather　throne。　　Then　Zabriskie　began　stealthily　to　cover　his　appallingly　long　line　of　〃shorts〃　by　making　purchases　at　the　lowest　obtainable　pricesone　hundred　and　fourone　hundred　and　threeone　hundred　and　oneninety…nineone　hundred　and　six！

The　price　rebounded　so　rapidly　and　so　high　that　Zabriskie　was　forced　to　stop　his　retreat。　　Dumont；　noting　the　celerity　with　which　the　enemy　were　escaping　under　cover　of　the　demoralization；　had　decided　no　longer　to　delay　the　move　for　which　he　had　saved　himself。　　He　had　suddenly　exploded　under　the　falling　price　mine　after　mine　of　buying　orders　that　blew　it　skyward。　　Zabriskie's　retreat　was　cut　off。

But　before　he　had　time　to　reason　out　this　savage　renewal　of　the　assault　by　that　mysterious　foe　whom　he　thought　he　had　routed；　he　saw　a　new　and　more　dreadful　peril。　　Brackett；　his　firm's　secret　broker；　rushed　to　him　and；　to　make　himself　heard　through　the　hurly…burly；　shouted　into　his　ear：

〃Look　what's　doing　in　Woolens！〃

Dumont　had　ordered　a　general　assault　upon　his　enemies；　front；　rear　and　both　flanks。　　His　forces　were　now　attacking　not　only