is employ--one of those
rare stenographers who do half a man's thinking for him. Cappy always
paid a little more than the top of the market for clever service; and
whenever, a competitor stole one of his favorite employees, sooner or
later that competitor paid for his sins, "through the nose."

"While you were away," Cappy went on, "I met Hudner a luncheon.
'Hudner,' I said, 'It's been my experience that nobody gets anything
good in this world without paying for it--and you stole the finest
stenographer I ever had. So I'm going to make you pay for her. See if I
don't.' Well, sir, Skinner, he laughed at me and told me to go as far as
I liked; and, a number of my youthful friends being present, they each
bet Hudner a five-dollar hat I'd hang his hide on my fence within sixty
days.

"Well, Skinner, you know me. Any time it's raining duck soup you'll
never catch me out with a fork; and, of course, when the boys showed
such faith in my ability to trim Hudner I had to make good. I have a
letter from Hudner to prove it; and to-day at luncheon, when we're all
gathered at the Round Table, I'm going to read that letter and my reply
to the same; and Hudner will have fifty dollars' worth of hat bills to
pay!"

"How did you tan his pelt?" Skinner queried.

"Easy! While you were away I chartered his steamer Chehalis for a load
of redwood lumber from Humboldt Bay to San Francisco at three dollars
and a half a thousand feet. Of course, you know a boat like the
Chehalis, with a big pay-roll, will break just even on such a low
freight rate; but inasmuch as he was going to lay the Chehalis up in
Oakland Creek, owing to lack of business, when I offered him a load of
redwood he concluded to take it, just to keep the vessel moving and pay
expenses. I stipulated discharge in San Francisco Bay.

"Well, sir, when the Chehalis got to our mill, Skinner, I ordered them
to load her with sinkers--oh! oh, this will be the death of me yet,
Skinner. And we gave her poor dispatch in loading. Then she had to lay
behind the bar two days longer before she could cross out; and when she
got here I ordered her to discharge into the British bark Glengarry--and
discharging from one vessel in to another is the slowest work in the
world. And Hudner--he's--written--me, Skinner, declaring he'll never
charter a boat to me again; says the Chehalis lost two thousand dollars
on the voyage." And Cappy went off into a gale of laughter, and handed
Skinner the letter