"The agent telephoned that we couldn't have her."
"What reasons did he offer?"
"None. We can't have her, that's all."
"She's the only available ship on the Sound. Our stuff will be here in a fortnight."
"Some of it will."
"What do you—?"
"Boilers held up."
"Boilers?"
"Yes. Read that." Balt tossed him a telegram.
"'Shipment delayed,'" read Boyd. "Well! This is growing interesting. Thank Heaven, other people handle machinery!" He reached for a blank, and hurriedly wrote a message cancelling his order. "I guess Cherry was right. Marsh is fighting to delay us." He began a recital of the morning's occurrences, but before he had finished he was called to the telephone.