There was a pause. Then Miller broke it by striking a match on the sole of his boot. He looked crosseyed at the flame as he applied it to his cigar. “Don't you think your people could stand whatever value is appraised by law in case of refusals along the line?” “No,” said Wilson. “The price for the land is too steep for that. Your clients have our ultimatum. What do you say? We can advertise a meeting of citizens at Springtown, which is about the centre of the territory involved, and if all agree to give the right of way it will be a trade. We can have the meeting set for to-day two weeks. How does that strike you?” “I'd have to wire my clients.” “When can you get an answer?” Miller looked at his watch. “By five o' clock this afternoon. The message would have to go into the country.” “Then send it off at once.” A few minutes after five o' clock Miller sauntered into the office. Wilson sat at his desk and looked up eagerly. “Well?” he asked, almost under his breath. The lawyer leaned on the top of the desk. “They are willing to grant you the two weeks' time, provided you sign an agreement for your firm that you will purchase their property at the price named at the expiration of that time.” “With the provision,” interpolated Wilson, “that a right of way is donated.” “Yes, with that provision,” Miller nodded. “Then sit down here and write out your paper.” Miller complied as nonchalantly as if he were drawing up a bill of sale for a worn-out horse. “There you are,” he said, pushing the paper to Wilson when he had finished. Wilson read it critically. “It certainly is binding,” he said. “You people may sleep during business hours, but you have your eyes open when you draw up papers. However, I don't care; I want the Bishops to feel secure. They must get to work to secure the right of way. It will be no easy job, I 'll let you know. I've struck shrewd, obstinate people in my life, but those up there beat the world. Noah couldn't have driven them in the ark, even after the Flood set in.” “You know something about them, then?” said Miller, laughing to himself over the implied confession. Wilson flushed, and then admitted that he had been up that way several times looking the situation over. “How about the charter?” asked Miller, indifferently. “That's fixed. I have already seen to that.” “Then it all depends on the right of way,” remarked the lawyer as he drew a check from his pocket and handed it to Wilson. “Now get me that note,” he said. Wilson brought it from the safe. “Turning this over cuts my option down to two weeks,” he said. “But we 'll know at the meeting what can be done.” “Yes, we 'll know then what they can do with _you_,” said Miller, significantly, as he put the cancelled note in his pocket and rose to go. XXXIII [Illustration: 9283]