"Just before I left for home I chartered her at fourteen hundred
dollars a day--forty-two thousand dollars a month--on the Government
form of charter."
"Impossible!" Cappy shrieked, losing all control of himself.
"Dog-gone you, Matt Peasley, don't tell me such stories. You're
driving me crazy!"
"It will cost me nine thousand a month to run her--and she doesn't
even go near the war zone. I'm going to run her to South American
ports."
"How long?"
Matt Peasley smiled. "How long?" he echoed. "Why, she's only
chartered for one trip just now. You don't suppose I'd charter her
for several voyages or for a year, on a freight market that's growing
over-night?"
"And those fifteen vessels you chartered. You rechartered them. For
what period?"
"Three months, with privilege of renewal at the going rates."
"Matt," Cappy murmured, "you're great. Damn me, sir, I could kiss
you."
Matt grinned at this earnest commendation.
"Of course I can operate the Narcissus and meet my monthly payments to
the Oriental Steamship Company and still be ahead of the game," he
continued. "But I'm going to sell her, Mr. Ricks. I've had an offer
of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars for her already--and she's
still waiting to be hauled out on the marine railway and put in
commission! I'll just wait one week and by that time she'll bring
half a million.
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