Ward shot him a grateful glance. "I told them I'd pay them at four o'clock which gave me plenty of time." "Two thousand dollars--oh, of course!" murmured Johnny. "So then," continued Talbot, "I hustled ashore; and went to see some of my merchant friends. In two hours I had contracts with twelve of them that totalled six thousand dollars." "Why didn't some of them go out and hire ships on their own account?" asked Yank shrewdly. "Because I didn't mention the word 'ship' until I had their business," said Talbot. "I just guaranteed them storage, waterproof, practically fireproof, dustproof, and within twenty-four hours. I guess most of them thought I was crazy. But as it didn't cost them anything, they were willing to take a chance." "Then you didn't raise your ten thousand dollars from them in advance payments!" I marvelled. "Certainly not. That would have scared off the whole lot of them. But I got their agreements; I told you it took me two hours. Then I walked up the street figuring where I'd get the money. Of course I saw I'd have to divide the profits. I didn't know anybody; but after a while I decided that the best chance was to get some advice from honest and disinterested man. So I asked the first man I met who ran the biggest gambling place in town. He told me Jim Recket." "Jim Recket?" I echoed. "He's the man I was to leave change for my gold slug with." "Recket keeps the El Dorado, next door in the tent. He impressed me as a very quiet, direct, square sort of a fellow. The best type of professional gambler, in matters of this sort, generally is. "'I am looking for a man,' said I, 'who has a little idle money, some time, no gold-mining fever, plenty of nerve, and a broad mind. Can you tell me who he is?' "He thought a minute and then answered direct, as I knew he would. "'Sam Brannan,' he said. "'Tell me about him.' "'To take up your points,' said Recket, checking off his fingers, 'he came out with a shipload of Mormons as their head, and he collected tithes from them for over a year; that's your idle money. He has all the time the Lord stuck into one day at a clip; that's your "some time." He has been here in the city since '48 which would seem to show he doesn't care much for mining. He collected the tithes from those Mormons, and sent word to Brigham Young that if he wanted the money to come and get it. That's for your nerve. As for being broad minded--well, when a delegation of the Mormons, all ready for a scrap, came to him solemnly to say that they were going to refuse to pay him the tithes any more, even if he was the California head of the church, he laughed them off the place for having been so green as to pay them as long as they had.' "I found Sam Brannan, finally, at the bar in Dennison's Exchange." "What was he like?" asked Johnny eagerly. "I'll bet I heard his name fifty times to-day."