th almost universal opposition. The "rich"
preferred to hang onto their money, thereby running true to form. While
professing the utmost confidence in the present integrity of the banker
and his friends they ingenuously wanted to know what chance they would
have of getting their money back when these masters of finance were
ready to leave the island! So they elected to hide their gold and silver
where it would be safe from unscrupulous financiers! And nothing could
shake them in this resolve.

"Time" was the basic principle on which the value of the script was to
be determined, and as "time," in this instance, meant hours and nothing
else, a citizen's income depended entirely on his readiness to work. Ten
hours represented a full day's work. The hand-press on board the Doraine
was used to print the "hours," as the little slips made from the
stock of menu card-board were called. They were divided into five
denominations, viz.: One Hour, Three Hours, Five Hours, Seven Hours and
Ten Hours. Each of these checks bore the signature of Abel T. Landover
and a seal devised by Peter Snipe, who besides being an author was
something of a draughtsman,--indeed, his enemies said he was a far
better artist than he was an author, which annoyed him tremendously in
view of the fact that he had stopped drawing when he was fifteen because
eminent cartoonists and illustrators had told him he had no talent at
all. The printing and stamping was done on board the Doraine and the
script was shortly to be put into circulation. Landover was slated to
become treasurer of Trigger Island at the general election.

As an illustration, this sort of dialogue was soon to become more or
less common:

"What's the price of this hat, Madame Obosky?"

"Twenty-seven hours, Mrs. Block."

Or:

"Gimme an hour's worth of 'smoke,' Andy," meaning, of course, the
substitute for tobacco.

Or:

"You blamed robber, what do you mean charging six hours for half-soling
them shoes? If you was any good, you could ha' done it in half the
time."

Every individual in camp over the age of thirteen was obliged to have an
occupation. To a certain extent, this occupation was selective, but in
the main it was to be determined by a board whose business it was to see
that the man-power was directed to the best advantage for all concerned.
A camp tax was ordered. At the end of the week, every citizen was
required to pay into the common treasury two "hours." He could not
"wo