This information rather startled the cautious gentleman, and the question was put to me without equivocation,—
"How much advance did I demand for the flour which they held for for me?"
"Fifty-six pounds per ton," I replied, promptly and firmly.
"Would I not take fifty pounds?"
"No"
"Would I sell all that I held in the city to the firm of Hennetit & Co. for that price?"
I replied that I would, provided the transaction was cashed that afternoon.
There was a short discussion among the members of the firm; and I saw the junior partner go out in great haste. He returned in a few minutes, and reported, I knew what he went after. He desired to learn the direction of the wind before completing the bargain. Fortune favored me. It was blowing a gale directly off shore.
"Will you take a check on the bank, or do you desire gold dust?" was Mr. Hennetit's polite interrogation.
I replied that I preferred the dust, if it was clean, and had been received from the government office. It was warranted free of sand; and while the weighing commenced, I drew up orders for the delivery of flour held by the several firms in the city. By the time that I had concluded, the dust was put into bags, marked with my name, the amount in each bag, and I found myself thy possessor of ten thousand pounds in hard cash, or nearly fifty thousand dollars.