United States or Cocos Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


As a matter of fact, he looked upon himself as the real head of the Captain's table! Half a dozen persons in all that company comprised Landover's circle of desirables. Of the rest, most of them were impossible, three-fourths of them were "anarchists," all of them were beneath notice, except as listeners.

"You think he did it to attract attention?" "Not so much that, perhaps, as to get back into the lime-light. You see, he was rather out of it for as much as half an hour, and he simply couldn't stand it. So he went off and staged a little sideshow of his own." She walked on in silence for a few moments, torn by doubts and misgivings. Landover's sarcastic analysis was like a douche of cold water.

"But you have Abel Landover's word for it, Ruth. The bullet grazed his head. The coward would have killed him most certainly if he had not succeeded in knocking the pistol out of his hand and overpowering him." "If I did not believe Mr. Landover to be an absolutely truthful, honourable man, I " began Ruth, a little furrow between her eyebrows, "well, I might still believe a little in Mr.

Am I right, or am I wrong?" he asked, in conclusion. "I prefer to believe Mr. Landover's story," said Mrs. Spofford stiffly. "Will you be good enough to go now, Mr. Shay?" "Sure," said "Soapy," rising. "I'm not asking anybody to take my word against his. I'm just telling you, that's all. Good afternoon, ladies." "It was not Mr. Percival who fired the shot? You are sure of that, Soapy?"

Landover's proposal that a central depository be established for the purpose of holding and safe-guarding the possessions of each and every person was primarily intended to prevent the surreptitious use of real money. This project met with almost universal opposition. The "rich" preferred to hang onto their money, thereby running true to form.

So far as I can make out, the only people who can afford to hire anybody to build a hut for them, and pay for it in real money, are the plutocrats from the steerage. "Mr. Landover's letter of credit is good for fifteen thousand if he ever gets back to New York, but it isn't worth fifteen cents here. His life is insured for one million dollars, I am told.

He ignored all private appeals and commands. The time had come for a show-down. It was either Landover and his little band of sycophants, or me and the entire company of men on this ship. It may interest you to know that you and Mrs. Spofford are the only two people on board, outside of Mr. Landover's retrievers, who blame me for what I did this morning."

She found little consolation in Landover's contention that the upstart was bound to hang himself if they gave him rope enough, or in Ruth's patient reminder that Percival was getting results, and getting them without bullying anybody. Ruth accepted the situation with a calmness that exasperated her aunt.

Vain, self-important, possessed of an abnormal conceit, men of his type go ahead ruthlessly, ignoring the details, bent only on achieving the ultimate. In Landover's case, he made the fatal error of underestimating the craftiness of Manuel Crust; he looked upon him as a blatant, ignorant ruffian of the stripe best known to him as a "beer saloon politician," and known only by hearsay, at that.

"You can hardly expect me to be interested in what other people think of my position, Mr. Percival," she said, raising her eyebrows slightly. "No more, I dare say, than Landover cares what they think of his," was his retort. She lifted her chin. "I am beginning to appreciate Mr. Landover's attitude toward you, Mr. Percival," she said icily. "And to justify it, I suppose," he said dejectedly.