"Because the very size of the business stands in the way, Fons. From every street corner you noticed about a dozen chimneys spouting clouds of black smoke. At least I did when I was there; but I knew it meant business and a great deal of it, and that it would not be interfered with. Rest assured it wouldn't. Then there are the Stock Yards. They are not beautiful but they are mighty. A thousand acres of slaughter-pens mean meat for the hungry millions. They are mighty interesting looked at in that way, most assuredly they are." "I didn't give the whole thing but one look," sniffed Bombs. "No, of course you didn't," laughed Schwarmer. "You were on the wrong scent, no doubt. After the beautiful, so to speak. Well, I reckon nobody ever accused Chicago of being beautiful, really and truly beautiful; but even the leopard has its spots, and there are some spots around and about the sides and tail end of the city that are just beautiful enough." "Yes, it _is_ beautiful along the margin of the lake, where the city is not--or the great bulk of it--but they are making huge preparations to spoil that. When its Centennial comes they will turn its liquid beauty into a bed of hissing, fiery serpents a mile long!" "Yes, and Pang's bill is to be a mile long, rest assured it is," laughed Schwarmer. "He's sharp enough for them. He isn't there for fun or in search of the beautiful. He's there for business and he's got it, Johnny Bull fashion, by the horns--on the lake front and on the house-tops, most assuredly he has. No, Fons, business isn't a beauty of itself, you know, or will know when you get into the whirl of it; and Chicago is the wildest kind of a whirlpool for business." "But I'm not there by a long shot," said Bombs, with a sigh of relief, "and Pang is not there, at least I couldn't find him." "But you've found us and we are glad to see you, most assuredly we are; and really there isn't much time to spare if you are going to get your new piece in tip-top order. It won't do to have any failure this time, most assuredly it won't." "I can't do much until the Pyro-men come; but I'm glad to be here again and out of that infernal business hole," said Bombs, frankly. "I found Pang's pyro-men so immersed, so perfectly pickled in the big scheme of bombarding Fort Dearborn, reburning the city and burning Mr. Flamingdon (or whatever his name is) that I couldn't find out about the new colors--the scientific things of the trade. It's all trade and no science with them now. They intend to cover everything in their line. They are scheming to get hold of 'The Chicago Amusement Association,' I suspect." "What's that, Fons?"