Bridges himself, a middle-aged man who wore a velvet skull-cap and who was smoking a Pittsburg stogie, met the farmer at the counter and the two exchanged perfunctory greetings. "Well," said Lewiston, tentatively, after awhile. "Well, Lewiston," said the other, "I can't take that wheat of yours at any better than sixty-two." "Sixty-_two_." "It's the Chicago price that does it, Lewiston. Truslow is bearing the stuff for all he's worth. It's Truslow and the bear clique that stick the knife into us. The price broke again this morning. We've just got a wire." "Good heavens," murmured Lewiston, looking vaguely from side to side. "That--that ruins me. I _can't_ carry my grain any longer--what with storage charges and--and--Bridges, I don't see just how I'm going to make out. Sixty-two cents a bushel! Why, man, what with this and with that it's cost me nearly a dollar a bushel to raise that wheat, and now Truslow--" He turned away abruptly with a quick gesture of infinite discouragement. He went down the stairs, and making his way to where his buckboard was hitched, got in, and, with eyes vacant, the reins slipping and sliding in his limp, half-open hands, drove slowly back to the ranch. His wife had seen him coming, and met him as he drew up before the barn. "Well?" she demanded. "Emmie," he said as he got out of the buckboard, laying his arm across her shoulder, "Emmie, I guess we'll take up with Joe's offer. We'll go to Chicago. We're cleaned out!" II. THE BULL--WHEAT AT A DOLLAR-TEN ...----_and said Party of the Second Part further covenants and agrees to merchandise such wheat in foreign ports, it being understood and agreed between the Party of the First Part and the Party of the Second Part that the wheat hereinbefore mentioned is released and sold to the Party of the Second Part for export purposes only, and not for consumption or distribution within the boundaries of the United States of America or of Canada_. "Now, Mr. Gates, if you will sign for Mr. Truslow I guess that'll be all," remarked Hornung when he had finished reading. Hornung affixed his signature to the two documents and passed them over to Gates, who signed for his principal and client, Truslow--or, as he had been called ever since he had gone into the fight against Hornung's corner--the Great Bear. Hornung's secretary was called in and witnessed the signatures, and Gates thrust the contract into his Gladstone bag and stood up, smoothing his hat. "You will deliver the warehouse receipts for the grain," began Gates. "I'll send a messenger to Truslow's office before noon," interrupted Hornung. "You can pay by certified check through the Illinois Trust people."