Next noon Scattergood was in his usual place on the piazza of his store when the train came in. Presently Mr. Castle, president of the G. & B., came into view, and Scattergood closed his eyes as if enjoying a midday snooze. Mr. Castle approached, stopped, regarded Scattergood with a pucker of his thin lips, and said to himself that the man must be an accident. It was one of Scattergood's most valuable qualities that his appearance and manner gave that opinion to people, even when they had suffered discomfiture at his hands. Mr. Castle coughed, and Scattergood opened his eyes sleepily and peered over the rolls of fat that were his cheeks. "Howdy?" said Scattergood, not moving. "Good day, Mr. Baines. You got my message?" "Seein' as you got my reply to it, I must have," said Scattergood. "Can we talk here?" "I kin." Mr. Castle looked about. No one was within earshot. He occupied a chair at Scattergood's side. "I understand your message to mean that you are willing to sell your railroad." "I calculate that message meant jest what it said." "I know what your railroad cost you--almost to a penny." "Uh-huh!" said Scattergood, without interest. "I'll tell you why I want it. My idea is to extend it through to Humboldt--twenty miles. May have to tunnel Hopper Mountain, but it will give me a short line to compete with the V. and M. from Montreal." "To be sure," said Scattergood, who knew well that such an extension was not only impracticable from the point of view of engineering, but also from the standpoint of traffic to be obtained. "Good idee." "I'll pay you cost and a profit of twenty-five thousand dollars." "Hain't interested special," said Scattergood. "I git that much fun out of railroadin'." "It isn't paying interest on your investment." "I calculate it's goin' to. I'm aimin' to see it does." "Set a figure yourself." "Hain't got no figger in mind." "Mr. Baines, I'll be frank with you. I want your railroad." "So I jedged," said Scattergood. "I _need_ it. I'll pay you a profit of fifty thousand--and that's my last word." Scattergood closed his eyes, opened them again, and sat erect. "Now that business is over with," he said, "better come up and set down to table with Mandy and me. Mandy's cookin' is considered some better 'n at the hotel." "You refuse?" "I was wonderin'," said Scattergood, "if you had any notion if I could buy the Goodhue timber reasonable?" "Eh?" said Mr. Castle, startled. "The Goodhue timber?" "Back of Tupper Falls." "Who told--" Mr. Castle snapped his teeth together sharply. "Leetle bird," said Scattergood. "Dinner's ready." "There might come a time when you'd be mighty glad to sell for less than I'm offering." "Once there was a boy," said Scattergood, "and he up and says to another boy, 'I kin lick you,' The story come to me that the boy sort of overestimated his weight.'" "I'm not threatening you," said Castle.