Very sober were the faces that surrounded the supper-table that evening; and but few words were spoken. Mr. Ashburn felt oppressed, and also fretted to think that his daughters should make both themselves and him unhappy about the trifle of a newspaper, when he had such serious troubles to bear. On the next Saturday, as Mr. Ashburn was walking over his farm, he saw a man sitting on one of his fences, dressed in a jockey-cap, and wearing a short hunting-coat. He had a rifle over his shoulder, and carried a powder-flask, shot and bird bags. In fact, he was a fully equipped sportsman, a somewhat _rara avis_ in those parts. "What's this lazy fellow doing here?" said Ashburn, to himself. "I wonder where he comes from?" "Good morning, neighbour," spoke out the stranger, in a familiar way, as soon as the farmer came within speaking distance. "Is there any good game about here? Any wild-turkeys, or pheasants?" "There are plenty of squirrels," returned Ashburn, a little sarcastically, "and the woods are full of robbins." "Squirrels make a first-rate pie. But I needn't tell you that, my friend. Every farmer knows the taste of squirrels," said the sportsman with great good-humour. "Still, I want to try my hand at a wild-turkey. I've come off here into the country to have a crack at game better worth the shooting than we get in the neighbourhood of P--." "You're from P--, then?" said the farmer. "Yes, I live in P--." "When did you leave there?" "Four or five weeks ago." "Then you don't know what wheat is selling for now?" "Wheat? No. I think it was ninety-five or a dollar, I don't remember which, when I left." "Ninety is all it is selling for here." "Ninety! I should like to buy some at that." "I have no doubt you can be accommodated," replied the farmer. "That is exceedingly low for wheat. If it wasn't for having a week's sport among your wild-turkeys, and the hope of being able to kill a deer, I'd stop and buy up a lot of wheat on speculation." "I'll sell you five hundred bushels at ninety-two," said the farmer, half-hoping that this green customer might be tempted to buy at this advance upon the regular rate. "Will you?" interrogated the stranger. "Yes." "I'm half-tempted to take you up. I really believe I--no!--I must knock over some wild-turkeys first. It won't do to come this far without bagging rarer game than wheat. I believe I must decline, friend." "What would you say to ninety-one?" The farmer had heard a rumour, a day or two before, of a fall of two or three cents in wheat, and if he could get off five hundred bushels upon this sportsman, who had let the breast of his coat fly open far enough to give a glimpse of a large, thick pocketbook, at ninety-one, it would be quite a desirable operation.