n their cargoes. To this end, he had
bought and greatly enlarged a building at Port Costa, that was already
in use for that purpose, and to this elevator all the crop of Los
Muertos was to be carried. The P. and S. W. made S. Behrman a special
rate.

"By the way," said S. Behrman to his superintendent, "we're in luck.
Fallon's buyer was in Bonneville yesterday. He's buying for Fallon and
for Holt, too. I happened to run into him, and I've sold a ship load."

"A ship load!"

"Of Los Muertos wheat. He's acting for some Indian Famine Relief
Committee--lot of women people up in the city--and wanted a whole cargo.
I made a deal with him. There's about fifty thousand tons of disengaged
shipping in San Francisco Bay right now, and ships are fighting for
charters. I wired McKissick and got a long distance telephone from him
this morning. He got me a barque, the 'Swanhilda.' She'll dock day after
to-morrow, and begin loading."

"Hadn't I better take a run up," observed the superintendent, "and keep
an eye on things?"

"No," answered S. Behrman, "I want you to stop down here, and see that
those carpenters hustle the work in the ranch house. Derrick will be
out by then. You see this deal is peculiar. I'm not selling to any
middle-man--not to Fallon's buyer. He only put me on to the thing. I'm
acting direct with these women people, and I've got to have some hand in
shipping this stuff myself. But I made my selling figure cover the price
of a charter. It's a queer, mixed-up deal, and I don't fancy it much,
but there's boodle in it. I'll go to Port Costa myself."

A little later on in the day, when S. Behrman had satisfied himself that
his harvesting was going forward favourably, he reentered his buggy
and driving to the County Road turned southward towards the Los Muertos
ranch house. He had not gone far, however, before he became aware of
a familiar figure on horse-back, jogging slowly along ahead of him. He
recognised Presley; he shook the reins over his horse's back and very
soon ranging up by the side of the young man passed the time of day with
him.

"Well, what brings you down here again, Mr. Presley?" he observed. "I
thought we had seen the last of you."

"I came down to say good-bye to my friends," answered Presley shortly.

"Going away?"

"Yes--to India."

"Well, upon my word. For your health, hey?"

"Yes."

"You LOOK knocked up," asserted the other. "By the way," he added, "I
suppose you've heard the news