Harry's heart leaped. Now was her chance. "Do you really think there would be money in it?" she asked eagerly. "For Rob and me for instance?" "Do I! There's so much in it that I know I'm a fool not to give up my job in the service and get me a herd. I would, too, if I hadn't rented my eighty down on the South Side on shares to Pablo Carriero, a Portagee. He's got it up to November, and you bet I'm not going to lease again." "But you could buy a few head, couldn't you?" Harry asked quickly. "You'll have one third of your hay." "Not this year. I told Carriero to sell it if he could, and he's given an option on it to that fellow Biane. But for you two! Why, it's as easy as counting your fingers to coin money this year." "It is!" said Rob skeptically. "With steers selling at thirty and calves at fifteen, and me with only three hundred cash in the bank? Guess again, Christopher Garnett." "He isn't guessing at all," Harry said quickly. "I heard--some one told me the very same thing this morning. If we bought only a hundred head now, part cash, part time----" "Oh, time!" Rob echoed. "None of that for me, thank you." "Wait, please. You haven't heard it all," Harry broke in, and then hurried on to give him the gist of what Ludlum had said. "With the eight hundred cash we have between us," she ended, "there's no reason why we should not borrow the rest, buy cattle and succeed, just as thousands of men have done before us." "Yes, and other men who didn't know any more about it than we do have gone into cattle and been ruined." "Say, Rob," Garnett drawled, "ain't you ever heard of a man with one pet cow havin' her die on him?" "Oh, sure! But the chances are ninety per cent in his favor, and if he does lose he loses less." "Loses less when he loses all he's got! That's the first time I ever heard that argyment. A man can drudge along and be safe while he never owns more than he can carry to bed in his two hands; but that ain't the way to figure in this country. Round up all you can and make 'em rustle for their livin' while you busy yourself seein' that some other feller's critters ain't swipin' the feed. That's the way to get rich. It beats the pet cow all hollow." "Of course," Harry added earnestly. "And as for not borrowing, every one knows that big business is done on credit." "Credit!" Rob fairly groaned. "I shouldn't care for any, as they say. It sounds good as a topic for conversation, but I'll bet that's just the kind of argument the old-timers got happy drunk on before the winter of '89. Ever hear the Robinsons tell about that winter, you two?"