perfectly safe investment; nay, gentlemen, he would go further, he would

put a figure on it: he had no hesitation (had that bold auctioneer) in

putting it in figures; and in his view, what with this and that, and one

thing and another, the purchaser might expect to clear a sum equal to

the entire estimated value of the cargo; or, gentlemen, in other words,

a sum of ten thousand dollars. At this modest computation the

roof immediately above the speaker's head (I suppose, through the

intervention of a spectator of ventriloquial tastes) uttered a clear

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"--whereat all laughed, the auctioneer himself

obligingly joining.

"Now, gentlemen, what shall we say?" resumed that gentleman, plainly

ogling Pinkerton,--"what shall we say for this remarkable opportunity?"

"One hundred dollars," said Pinkerton.

"One hundred dollars from Mr. Pinkerton," went the auctioneer, "one

hundred dollars. No other gentleman inclined to make any advance? One

hundred dollars, only one hundred dollars----"

The auctioneer was droning on to some such tune as this, and I, on my

part, was watching with something between sympathy and amazement the

undisguised emotion of Captain Trent, when we were all startled by the

interjection of a bid.

"And fifty," said a sharp voice.

Pinkerton, the auctioneer, and the boys, who were all equally in the

open secret of the ring, were now all equally and simultaneously taken

aback.

"I beg your pardon," said the auctioneer. "Anybody bid?"

"And fifty," reiterated the voice, which I was now able to trace to

its origin, on the lips of a small, unseemly rag of human-kind. The

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