Cappy Ricks raised his clasped hands and gazed reverently upward.

“Oh, Lord!” he murmured.  “How many?  How many?”

“Fifteen,” Matt Peasley murmured complacently.  “I got about half of them real cheap, because business was rotten when I landed in the East.  Why, I chartered the entire fleet of one shipping firm in Boston.  I had to pay a stiffer rate for the others; but—­”

“How long did you charter them for?” Cappy yelled.  “Quick!  Tell me!”

“All for a year, with the privilege of renewal at a ten per cent. advance.  I had no difficulty in rechartering to the men who had been asleep on the job.  I shall average a profit of two hundred dollars a day on each of the fifteen even if I do not charter them longer—­”

“A day!” Cappy’s voice rose to a shrill scream.

“A day!  Any American bottom that will float and move through the water is worth five times what it was before war was declared, and the freight rates are going up every day.  Three thousand dollars a day income—­three hundred and sixty-five days in the year!  Man, if the war lasts a year I’ll make a million dollars net!”

“But—­but—­about this Narcissus?” Cappy sputtered.

“Just before I left for home I chartered her at fourteen hundred dollars a day—­forty-two thousand dollars a month—­on the Government form of charter.”

“Impossible!” Cappy shrieked, losing all control of himself.  “Dog-gone you, Matt Peasley, don’t tell me such stories.  You’re driving me crazy!”

“It will cost me nine thousand a month to run her—­and she doesn’t even go near the war zone.  I’m going to run her to South American ports.”

“How long?”

Matt Peasley smiled.  “How long?” he echoed.  “Why, she’s only chartered for one trip just now.  You don’t suppose I’d charter her for several voyages or for a year, on a freight market that’s growing over-night?”

“And those fifteen vessels you chartered.  You rechartered them.  For what period?”

“Three months, with privilege of renewal at the going rates.”

“Matt,” Cappy murmured, “you’re great.  Damn me, sir, I could kiss you.”

Matt grinned at this earnest commendation.

“Of course I can operate the Narcissus and meet my monthly payments to the Oriental Steamship Company and still be ahead of the game,” he continued.  “But I’m going to sell her, Mr. Ricks.  I’ve had an offer of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars for her already—­and she’s still waiting to be hauled out on the marine railway and put in commission!  I’ll just wait one week and by that time she’ll bring half a million.  At that I hate to sell, but I’ve got to.  I figure a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

“Why have you got to?” Cappy shrilled.  “You’re crazy!  You don’t have to.”

“But the next payment will come due on her before I receive any charter money from the Steel people, and that will clean me for fair.  I can’t help myself.  Besides, I’ve got these other fifteen vessels chartered; I’ll have to have capital—­and I’ve got to have it quickly or I’ll be a pauper while you’d be saying Jack Robinson.”