“All, even to the selection of a few of my agents. I can control freight rates for what we may wish to ship. The rest of the crop will be left to rot. The farmers will jump at such a bargain. And the consumers will pay our price for what they must have.”
“Very pretty,” mused Murdock. “And how much do you figure we shall need to round the corner?”
“A million, cash in hand,” replied Ames.
“Is this anything that the women can mix into?” asked Fitch suddenly. “You know they forced us to dump tons of our cold-storage stuff onto the market two years ago.”
“That was when I controlled wheat,” said Ames, “and was all tied up. But this is a wholly different proposition. It will be done so quietly and thoroughly that it will all be over and the profits pocketed before the women wake up to what we’re doing. In this case there will be nothing to store. And potatoes exposed in the field rot quickly, you know.”
The rest of the group seemed to study the idea for some moments. Then the practical Murdock inquired of Ames if he would agree to handle the project, provided they took it up.
“Yes,” assented Ames, “on a five per cent basis. And I am ready to put agents in the field to-morrow.”
“Then, Madam Beaubien,” said Fitch, “I move that we adopt the plan as set forth by Mr. Ames, and commission him to handle it, calling upon us equally for whatever funds he may need.”
A further brief discussion ensued; and then the resolution was unanimously adopted.
“Say, Ames,” queried Weston, with a glint of mischief in his eyes, “will any of these potatoes be shipped over the C. and R.?” 97 A laugh went up around the table, in which Ames himself joined. “Yes,” he said, “potatoes and cotton will both go over that road next summer, and I shall fix the rebates.”