"But you ought to have bought this
morning, if that's what you want. It was hell popping and the roof
giving 'way all at once." The little man had an abundant stock of
profanity which he used unconsciously and with such original variations
that one almost forgot the blasphemy of it while listening to him. "You
ought to have been there," he continued, "and watched the boys shell
'em out!"
"Yes, I heard you had lively times."
"Boiling," he said, with coruscating additions in the way of speech and
gesture. "If it hadn't been for Decker and some fellow we haven't had a
chance to make out yet the bottom of the market would have been resting
on the roof of the lower regions." The little man's remark was slightly
more direct and forcible, but this will do for a revised version.
"Decker!" I exclaimed, pricking up my ears. "I thought he had quit the
market."
As I had never heard of Mr. Decker before that moment this was not
exactly the truth, but I thought it would serve me better.
"Decker out of it!" gasped Wallbridge, his bald head positively
glistening at the absurdity of the idea. "He'll be out of it when he's
carried out."
"I meant out of Omega. Is he getting up a deal?"
The little broker looked vexed, as though it crossed his mind that he
had said too much.
"Oh, no. Guess not. Don't think he is," he said rapidly. "Just wanted
to save the market, I guess. If Omega had gone five points lower, there
would have been the sickest times in the Street that we've seen since
the Bank of California closed and the shop across the way,"--pointing
his thumb at the Exchange,--"had to be shut up.
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