72 I N A G U A 



ardson, had handled the affair— we, no doubt, were familiar 

 with the details of the procedure. The government required 

 the sale of wrecked and salvaged goods, the proceeds being 

 divided between the wreckers, the agent and the government, 

 the remainder going to the original owners. The remainder, 

 we gathered, was very little. In fact, we deduced that if the 

 captain of a ship worth several hundred thousand dollars real- 

 ized only two hundred and fifty out of his wreck our returns 

 would be so infinitesimal as to be visible only under a micro- 

 scope. 



It was really very unfortunate, but— we were informed with 

 a smile— there was really no use trying to circumvent the 

 matter, it was the custom and the law. And furthermore— here 

 Richardson settled in his chair and bit oif the end of a huge 

 cigar— he, Richardson, owned most of the island, controlled its 

 affairs, the people did as he wished, all matters were referred to 

 him for decision. It was very unfortunate that we were ship- 

 wrecked but he would see that we were properly treated— 



The man's condescending manner and arrogant speech were 

 becoming so irritating that we did not trust ourselves to speak. 

 But our silence did not faze the Inaguan a bit, for he swept 

 grandiosely on. He told us of how he started life with nothing 

 but his bare hands and a determination to get ahead, of how by 

 sheer cleverness he had overcome tremendous odds, and of 

 how little by little he had assumed control of the island's affairs, 

 until at the peak of his years he was master of it all. 



It was a boastful, conceited story, baldfaced and presumptu- 

 ous in the details of how by one trick or another he had secured 

 property after property, all the island's wealth. I glanced out 

 the window and took in the sweep of deserted and decaying 

 houses and the thought crept into my mind that perhaps this 

 man's ambition was the cause of all this desolation. 



On and on he continued until Coleman and I began to squirm 



