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Burned Bridges

Page 128

"I didn't know you were a shipbuilder," Thompson commented.

"I'm not," Tommy admitted, stifling another yawn. "But I can hire

'em--both brains and labor. The main thing is I've got the contracts.

That's the chief item in this war business. The rest is chiefly a matter

of business judgment. It's something of a jump, I'll admit, but I can

negotiate it, all right."

"As a matter of fact," he continued presently, and with a highly

self-satisfied note in his voice, "apart from the executive work it's

what the Americans call a lead-pipe cinch. We can't lose. I've been

fishing for this quite a while, and I put it over by getting in touch

with the right people. It's wonderful what you can do in the proper

quarter. The Vancouver Construction Company consists of Joe Hedley and

myself. Joe is a very clever chap. Has influential people, too. We have

contracts with the I.M.B. calling for ten schooners estimated to cost

three hundred thousand dollars per. We finance the construction, but we

don't really risk a penny. The contracts are on a basis of cost, plus

ten per cent. You see? If we go above or under the estimate it doesn't

matter much. Our profit is fixed. The main consideration is speed. The

only thing we can be penalized for is failure to launch and deliver

within specified dates."

Thompson did a rough bit of mental figuring.

"I should say it was a cinch," he said dryly. "Nobody can accuse you of

profiteering. Yet your undertaking is both patriotic and profitable. I

suppose you had no trouble financing a thing like that?"

"I should say not. The banks," Tommy replied with cynical emphasis,

"would fall over themselves to get their finger in our pie. But they

won't. Hedley and I have some money. Sam Carr is letting us have fifty

thousand dollars at seven per cent. No bank is going to charge like the

Old Guard at Waterloo on overdrafts and advances--and dictate to us

besides. I'm too wise for that. I'm not in the game for my health. I see

a big lump of money, and I'm after it."

"I suppose we all are," Thompson reflected absently.

"Certainly," Tommy responded promptly. "And we'd be suckers if we

weren't."

He took a puff or two at his cigar and rose.

"Run over to the plant on the North Shore with me to-morrow if you have

the time. We'll give it the once over, and take a look at the Wallace

yard too. They're starting on steel tramps there now. I'm going over

about two o'clock. Will you?"

"Sure. I'll take time," Thompson agreed.

"Come down to MacFee's wharf and go over with me on the Alert," Tommy

went on. "That's the quickest and easiest way to cross the Inlet. Two

o'clock. Well, I'm off to bed. Good night, old man."

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