Roxy Hastings — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

> Sis eet : , * >. ee as | ae a S —— a re ee tO Se Lee i Loe. , fae «Ae. . -~-> " “4 ‘- “< ore ~ Sg oh a genes is ene 4 a ‘og ™ » ro ele E ” > w" - i. r Shab . : 7 ™ - r © 22 ROXY HASTINGS, © “Cash down,” continued Sharp, ‘‘as soon as the deed is signed.” 7 a Oh, throw. in another fifty,” said Sligh, ‘‘rather than dally all day. Not that I think it worth it, for I don’t. But I want to be off.” 3 ‘Well, five hundred and fifty it is, then. There's an offer for you as is an offer, young man.” | Yes, and there was the same eager look. Charley held back. “Gome to Smith’s this evening,” he said, “and we’ll talk it over. IJ think I'll do it.” “Well, not to Smith’s. Go with us to Mr. Rooke’s. It’s nearer, and he’s an acquaintance of mine. We shall stop there if we stay over night.” ‘‘Has he room ?” | “Oh, plenty! I'll see to that. He’ll give you the best room in his house for half a dollar.” ‘“T want to look over the land a little first, for I have only seen a small part of it.” “We'll go with you, then,” was the quick reply, “‘for we know the lines on three sides, and as to the other, we can guess pretty well at that, knowing the number of acres.” ‘“Ves. 1? ‘‘Tt crosses the creek, I believe.” “Ves so I understand, and runs up a little beyond the ridge on the other side.” They went, Sharp leading, and carefully avoiding as far as possible all the places which gave evidence of the liquid treasure beneath the soil. He kept away from the creek, the surface of which, in httle nooks out of the current, was many-hued with the oleaginous matter, or if compelled to pass these spots, he talked loudly on other topics, pointed out distant views, and hurried the simple youth along. There were springs on the hillside still more distinctly marked, and redolent with the offensive odor of petroleum, and these also the speculator carefully shunned. With still ereater care did he avoid the vicinity of an old salt well just on the Bingham side of the line, which infected the air for a rood around with the gas which it belched forth, proclaiming the pent-up fountains which a near future was to unseal. Sharp talked about wood; was wise on timber and fuel, and descanted upon how much he hoped to realize per cord for the trees, when, by the aid of much capital and labor, he had felled them, and brought them to market. : } “TI think it will yield a fair profit to a farmer like me,” Eomicbooks.co