push button. An instant later Mr. Skinner appeared.

"Skinner, my dear boy," said Cappy, "Matt has a flock of charters he
has made for us in the East--also, a flock of recharters of the same
boats--also, a contract of sale on the steamer Narcissus. Make out a
form of assignment of that contract from the Pacific Shipping Company to
the Blue Star Navigation Company and Matt will sign it. We'll keep that
boat ourselves. Then give Matt a check for the next payment due that
man MacCandless on the Narcissus and after you've cleaned up with
Matt, Skinner, have Hankins issue him seven hundred and fifty thousand
dollars' worth of stock--half in the Blue Star and half in the Ricks
Lumber & Logging Company. Tell Hankins, also, to call a special
meeting of the board of directors of both companies for ten o'clock
tomorrow--and to be sure to have a quorum present. And in the meantime
put the Narcissus under provisional American registry."

"Why, what are you going to do?" Mr. Skinner demanded wonderingly.

Cappy walked tip to his general manager and affectionately placed his
hand on Skinner's arm.

"Skinner, my dear boy," he said, "we're going to elect you president
of the lumber company and Matt is to be president of the Navigation
Company. I'm going to resign and be a sort of president emeritus of both
companies and advisory director to both boards. Matt, you might tell
Skinner what your plans are for the Blue Star."

"Well," said Matt, "I'm going to leave the president emeritus on the job
a few months longer."

"Not by a jugful! I quit tomorrow. Hereafter I'm just scenery. I'm old
and I must give way to youth. I've had my day; I'm out of the running
now," Cappy answered sadly.

"We're going to leave the president emeritus on the job," Matt repeated,
"while I go to Europe and pick up a couple of big British tramps, under
the provisions of the recent Emergency Shipping Act, and stick 'em under
the American flag. Regardless of what the other fellows may do or think,
the fact is we're American citizens; and we're going to do our duty and
help establish an American mercantile marine. Skinner, we'll make the
Blue Star flag known on the Seven Seas."

Cappy Ricks sprang into the air and got one thin old arm round Matt
Peasley's neck; with the other he groped for Skinner, for there were
tears in his fine old eyes.

"What a pair of lads to have round me!" he said huskily. "Matt--Skinner,
my boy--by the Holy Pink-toed Prophet!--we