Marston promptly closeted himself with his three wise men of business
after he went aft. "We'll frame up those telegrams now and get them
off," he told them. "I thought I'd better wait until I had worked the
bile out of my system. Never try to do sane and safe business when
you're angry, gentlemen! I'm afraid those telegrams would not have
been exactly coherent if I had written them right after that Bee liner
smashed past us."
"I have been ready to believe that Tucker would come in with us on the
right lay," said one of the associates.
"So did I," agreed Marston. "I have thought all his loud talk has been
bluff to beat up a bigger price. But, after what he did to-day! Oh
no! He is out to fight and he grabbed his chance to show us! I do not
believe a lot of this regular fight talk. But when a man comes up and
smashes me between the eyes I begin to suspect his intentions."
"There's no need of dickering with him any longer, Mr. Marston. He
made his work as dirty as he could to-day--he has left nothing open to
doubt."
"I'm sorry," said another of the group. "Tucker has let himself get
ugly."
"So have I," replied Marston, dryly. "And I'm growing senile, too, I'm
afraid. I went forward and wasted as much anathema on that skipper of
mine as I would use up in putting through a half-million deal with an
opposition traffic line. Next thing I know I'll be arguing with, the
smoke-stack. But I must confess, gentlemen, that Tucker rather took my
breath away to-day. Either he has become absolutely crazy or else he
doesn't understand the strength of the combination."
"He hasn't waked up yet. He doesn't know what's against him."
"That may be our fault, in a measure," stated one of the men. "We
haven't been able to let men like Tucker in on the full details."
"In business it's the good guesser who wins," declared Marston. "Our
merger isn't a thing to be advertised. And if we do any more explaining
to Tucker the whole plan will be advertised, you can depend on it.
The infernal fool has been holding us up three months, demanding more
knowledge--and he can't be trusted. There's only one thing to do,
gentlemen! That!" He drove his fist into his palm with significant thud.
"Is the Bee line absolutely essential in our plans?"