o you think I am? A human hog? Let me sit
in the game with you--let me play the game of business with you, son,
down to my last buffalo nickel. I can't take the blamed money with me
when I die, can I? But don't ask me to make any money out of you, my
boy. I'm going to get my fun watching you in action."

Matt Peasley came close and took old Cappy Ricks' hand in both of his.

"I want to be your partner," he said wistfully. "I couldn't come into
this office and sponge off you, and so I've waited until I could buy
in! I wanted to bring some assets besides myself when I should come to
manage the Blue Star. May I, sir? I want to turn in this big deal I've
put over for stock in the Ricks Lumber and Logging Company and the Blue
Star Navigation Company; and, then, with Skinner managing the lumber
end, I'll sit in and run the fleet--and you just sit round and help and
offer advice, Mr. Ricks. Let me turn in the Narcissus for what I have
been offered--four hundred and fifty thousand dollars--and take stock.

"I don't want to be an employee; I don't want to be just your
son-in-law, waiting for your shoes. I want to be your partner--to
be more than a cog in the machine. And those freighters I've
chartered--why, I could never have chartered them without your help. Who
was I? Would I have had any credit or standing with those big Eastern
shipping firms? Not much! I represented myself as the general manager
of the Blue Star Navigation Company. And they knew about you--you were
rated A-1 in financial circles."

"You what?" yelled Cappy. "General manager! You infernal duffer, why
didn't you cut the whole hog and call yourself president?"

"I had my cards printed to read: Vice President and General Manager,"
Matt replied with a twinkle. "I didn't feel any qualms of conscience
about cutting that much of the hog, because I knew you would make me
vice president and general manager as soon as I got back with the bacon!
So I signed all the charters, 'Blue Star Navigation Company, by Matthew
Peasley, V. P. and G.M.'--drew a raft of sight drafts on you also.
They'll be putting in an appearance in a day or two. I got home just
about two jumps ahead of them."

"You're a devil!" said Cappy Ricks. "But--I'll pay the drafts." Matt
laughed happily. "You're bringing about a million and a half into the
company--at least, if everything goes well, you will; and you've got a
half interest in what you have brought in," Cappy continued.

He touched a