The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

164 ‘“‘Ah’ve bin thinkin’ aboot the loan ye wes speirin’, Maister Cochrane, an’ ma mind misgeeves me that ye hae ower muckle on the place the noo. Times is na whut they wes, an’ ye hevna made ower muckle o’ the natural resoorces o’ the land.” - “You've got that dead to rights, Mr. McKechnie, but rabbits don’t fetch what they used to, the trappers tell me, so we’re handicapped. As to the loan, that can wait. I was irritated yesterday, and had it in mind to play it pretty low down on my partner. I feel better now.” “Gin ye canna make a guid leevin’ off’ the fairm, whit wey di ye no sell it, Maister Cochrane? Ah cudna say for sure, but Ah’ve nae doot Ah cud get ye whut ye paid.” It was the opening gambit of the ne- gotiations, and Jim braced himself for the fray. He laughed good-naturedly. ‘You wouldn’t make such a bad bargain at that, if you only knew. You see, as a rabbit breeder, I am a failure, owing to the distance from the market, but we have just found out a little something that gives us an idea that we’ve been unjust to this property, and to you, Mr. McKechnie.” ‘An’ whut may be the new develop- ment, gin Ah may speir?”’ ““Well, you’ll know all in good time. It needs capital and time, but this place we despised is going to surprise you all here.”’ ‘““Ah ken you’re richt; it needs proper work an’ on a large scale, an’ it would be worth a lot o’ siller. That’s why Ah’m offerin’ to buy it, for ye ken ma ither property rins for miles beyont this one.” “We are going to show you some Ameri- can methods here, Mr. McKechnie. Not but what I wouldn’t be willing to sell for a fair profit, but my partner sees a fortune in the place, worked according to our new plans, and though I don’t agree, he’s bound to have his way.” “Weel, Ah wudna say Ah wud stop at a hoonder pouns or so, for Ah hev ma own ideas that the land is a’ richt, 1’ the proper THE ARGOSY. hands, but ye’ll juist think it over. Mebbe, Ah wull be alang i’ th’ efternune. Guid- bye, Maister Cochrane.” **So-long.”’ The cautious Sandy wished to let the idea of a sale to him sink into the mind of the American, and he was unwishful to commit himself till he had an opportunity to get a line on the outcome of Bunny’s visit to the promoters at Grafton. He had a good idea simmering in his head whereby he might get advance in- formation from his friend the postmaster as to the contents of the telegram. If no business resulted at Grafton, he could take his time and get the place on option perhaps, which would give him an opportunity to test the feeling in the dis- trict, and gamble with the proposition in the form of a syndicate, without the risk of a penny. If, on the other hand, there was the prospect of the Grafton people coming across, he had a good chance of appealing to the avarice of Cochrane, and also to the ugly spirit he had witnessed the day before. It was a matter of price, or he might even be lucky enough to get Jim, who was the real owner, to give him an op- tion for a small sum, which would cut off the promoters from Grafton, who would be forced by these means to deal with him. In these pleasant dreams of getting something for nothing he passed the warm intervening hours, putting in frequent ap- pearances at the post-office, where the gos- sip about the Americans was rifest. From a coign of vantage he saw Jim call twice at the office, presumably to in- quire for the expected telegram, and walk away unsatisfied. “Seems pretty excited about a wire he’s expectin’,” explained the postmaster. ‘Nothing through yet. Told him I’d send it up to him soon’s it comes. About this oil strike, likely? Some men has all the luck.” Sandy went over to his office for a few minutes while he waited for information, and saw Jim in earnest conversation with a farmer, a very wealthy one, too. COMMICLOOOLK (C@