Cappy Ricks | Page 8

Skinner, coming into Cappy Ricks'
office with a cablegram in his hand, found his employer doubled up at
his desk and laughing in senile glee.
"I have a cablegram--" Mr. Skinner began.
"I have a good story," Cappy interrupted. "Let me tell it to you, Skinner.
Oh, dear! I believe this is about going to kill the boys up on 'Change
when I tell them." He wiped his eyes, controlled his mirth and turned to
the general manager. "Skinner," he said, "did you know I had gotten
back into the harness while you were up at the Astoria mill? Well I did,
Skinner. I had to, you know. If it was the last act of my life I had to

square accounts with that man Hudner, of the Black Butte Lumber
Company."
Mr. Skinner nodded. He was aware of the feud that existed between
Cappy and Hudner, and the reasons therefor. The latter had stolen from
Cappy a stenographer, who had grown to spinsterhood in his
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.
"We11, 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 to read.
For the benefit of the reader, who may desire a closer insight into
Cappy's Machiavellian nature, be it known that a sinker is a heavy,
close-grained clear redwood butt-log, which, if cut in the spring, when
the tree is alive with sap, is so heavy it will not float in the millpond;
hence the term sinker. A vessel laden with lumber sawed from sinkers,
therefore, will carry just fifty per cent. of her customary cargo; and
unless the freight rate be extremely high, she cannot make money.
"Do you know, Skinner," Cappy announced presently, "I think you'd
better hunt up a steady job for me! Dadding it, boy, I never knew there
was so much fun in business until I had practically retired! Really,
Skinner, I must take more interest in my affairs."
"Here's something to sharpen your teeth on, Mr. Ricks," the general
manager replied, and presented the cablegram he had been holding for
five minutes.
Cappy took it and read, thereby becoming aware for the first time, that
he had in his employ an individual by