If cotton fell to six he hadn‚Äôt a cent on earth. If it stayed there‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚ÄúMy God!‚Äù He felt a faintness stealing over him but he beat it back and gulped down another glass of fiery liquor.
Then the one protecting instinct of his clan gripped him. Slowly, quietly his hand moved back until it grasped the hilt of the big Colt‚Äôs revolver that was ever with him‚ÅÝ‚Äîhis thin white hand became suddenly steady as it slipped the weapon beneath the shadow of the desk.
‚ÄúIf it goes to six,‚Äù he kept murmuring, ‚Äúwe‚Äôre ruined‚ÅÝ‚Äîif it goes to six‚ÅÝ‚Äîif‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù
‚ÄúTick,‚Äù sounded the wheel and the sound reverberated like sudden thunder in his ears. His hand was iron, and he raised it slightly. ‚ÄúSix,‚Äù said the wheel‚ÅÝ‚Äîhis finger quivered‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äúand a half.‚Äù
‚ÄúHell!‚Äù yelled Taylor. ‚ÄúShe‚Äôs turned‚ÅÝ‚Äîthere‚Äôll be the devil to pay now.‚Äù A messenger burst in and Taylor scowled.
‚ÄúShe‚Äôs loose in New York‚ÅÝ‚Äîa regular mob in New Orleans‚ÅÝ‚Äîand‚ÅÝ‚Äîhark!‚ÅÝ‚ÄîBy God! there‚Äôs something doing here. Damn it‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI wish we‚Äôd got another million bales. Let‚Äôs see, we‚Äôve got‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äù He figured while the wheel whirred‚ÅÝ‚Äî‚Äú7‚ÅÝ‚Äî7‚ÅÝ‚Äì‚ÅÝ¬Ω‚ÅÝ‚Äî8‚ÅÝ‚Äî8‚ÅÝ‚Äì‚ÅݬΩ.‚Äù
Cresswell listened, staggered to his feet, his face crimson and his hair wild.
‚ÄúMy God, Taylor,‚Äù he gasped. ‚ÄúI‚Äôm‚ÅÝ‚ÄîI‚Äôm a half a million ahead‚ÅÝ‚Äîgreat heavens!‚Äù