"I assure you I was not eager," continued Orloff, still laughing. "Sowinski is no friend of mine. In the end he went down to the harbour, inspected the consignment, and bought it for 27,000 roubles, the market price, as you yourself mentioned."
"Quick returns and by no means small profits," said Jack.
"Yes. But—ha! ha!—what makes me laugh is something else. I was rung up at the telephone—just as you went, you remember; two vessels had been signalled from the mouth of the harbour carrying flour—not a moderate consignment like yours, but a whole cargo each. You see, Ivan Ivanovitch? The market price of Sowinski's lot will fall in an hour to 20,000 roubles, and it serves him right. How your father will laugh when he learns how his rival has overreached himself! By the way, the Waverley is sailing this morning, in ballast of course."
"Indeed!" No information could have pleased Jack more. "Captain Fraser is an old friend of ours. I should like to see him."
"Then you haven't much time to lose. But you may as well sign these papers to complete our little transaction—the last, I am sorry to say. You will be back again?"
"I am not sure. I am not staying in Vladivostok long, and I'll say good-bye in case I don't get time to run in again."
"And when do you leave for home?"
"As soon as possible."
"By the Trans-Siberian, I suppose?"
"Probably; unless we can get through the lines to Newchang."