showed fine forethought. Now,
then, what are you going to do to save your roll?"

"The City of Para leaves for Panama to-morrow. Give me a letter
to Captain Grant, commanding him to turn his ship over to me on
presentation of this letter. I will furnish him the funds to pay his
transportation back to San Francisco."

"Fair enough," said Cappy; and, calling in a stenographer, he dictated
the desired letter.

Ten minutes later Matt Peasley had left the office without the formality
of saying good-by to Cappy Ricks, and was in a taxicab en route to
his lodgings to pack his steamer trunk and hand baggage. Cappy Ricks
chuckled as Matt went angrily out.

"Ah--that first time a man goes broke!" he soliloquized. "What a blow to
one's pride! What a shock to the nervous system!" He sighed. "Poor old
Matt! Nobody knows better than Cappy Ricks how you feel, because
he's been there twice and it blamed near broke his heart each time it
happened."

He shook his head with an air of satisfaction, for things were going
well with him. He had made a prophecy and it was in a fair way of being
fulfilled--nay, its fulfillment was inevitable; whereat Cappy, after
the habit of the aged in their conflict with Youth, felt very much like
shaking hands with himself. Indeed, so pleased was he that presently he
called in Mr. Skinner and related the story in meticulous detail to the
general manager.

Mr. Skinner was delighted. More--he was overcome. He sat down and
permitted himself the most soul-satisfying laugh he had had in years.

CHAPTER XLII. UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS

Mr. Skinner thrust his head into Cappy Ricks' office and said:

"I've just had a telephone message from the Merchants' Exchange. The
Tillicum is passing in."

"Then," said Cappy Ricks, "in about two hours at the latest we may
expect a mournful visit from Captain Matt Peasley."

"If you don't mind, Mr. Ricks," said Skinner with a smirk, "I should
dearly love to be present at the interview."

Cappy smiled brightly.

"By all means, Skinner, my dear boy; by all means, since you wish it. It
just about breaks my heart to think of the cargo of grief I'm going
to slip that boy; but I have resolved to be firm, Skinner. He owes us
eighteen thousand dollars and he must go through with his contract to
the very letter, and pay the Blue Star Navigation Company every last
cent due it. He will, doubtless, suggest some sort of settlement--ten
cents on the dollar--"

"Don't a