He thought Morgan Pell would be stunned. Instead, he merely said, "I'll give you twenty thousand. That'll pay the mortgage and give you your ten back. You can give me an option while I'm arranging payment. Get me? That'll save time." "You mean you'll give me twenty thousand dollars for this ranch?" Gilbert said, unable to understand. "Exactly. Will you take it?" "You bet your life he'll take it!" cried Uncle Henry, whom everyone had forgotten in the excitement of the moment. He rolled his chair expertly to the table, and peered into his nephew's face, fearing he would make a fool of himself once more. He was trembling with excitement. "Then that's settled," Pell announced. Unnoticed, Lucia had come to the top of the stairway, and stood listening to every word. And Hardy, who had been trying his best to get a word in edgewise, finally managed to cry out: "Wait a minute!" No one paid any attention to him. Gilbert was in deep meditation. He turned to Pell. "But I don't want to be under any obligation to you," he said. "You won't," the other affirmed, and anxiety was in his voice. "Well, is it a go?" "A go?" yelled Uncle Henry, unable to restrain himself. "It's gone!" Hardy stepped in between Pell and Jones. "Hold on, there! You can't do this." Pell looked him squarely in the face, "Why not, I'd like to know." "You mean you'd do me out of this property at the last minute?" Jasper Hardy asked. Pell smiled. "That's my specialty!" Indignation was in every fiber of Hardy's gaunt frame. He was losing his temper, and he was wise enough to know that that would never do. The unforgivable sin was to lose control of oneself. He must hold on to his voice, his movements; but a nest of hornets, under attack, could not have been angrier. "I protest!" he said, as calmly as he could. "Here I been settin' around waitin' for this place for five years! You can't come here an' take it away from me like this! No, sir, I won't have it!" "Look here," Gilbert stepped in and said. "You're getting your money! What are you boiling about?" "Red" had been listening attentively. He came close to Gilbert now, and said, "He wants the place. Didn't he just say so?" "The place?" Gilbert repeated. "What the devil does he want the place for?" Pell was growing impatient. There was too much quibbling. "We're losing time. Come on, let's get things settled." Jones, however, was not to be hurried. "But I want to know why he wants this place so much." His suspicions were thoroughly aroused. No one had observed Uncle Henry, who had silently wheeled his chair about until he got to the table, where Pell had left his satchel long ago. Like a curious old woman he now picked it up, brazenly opened it, and exclaimed: "Hey! What the Sam Hill!" and backed away; but not until he had dipped his hands into the bag. "What's the matter?" Gilbert asked, turning. "It's full o' dirt! Just dirt!" Uncle Henry cried, and glanced about to see the effect of his surprising information.