"Much obliged, I ain't got time to get down," Lance answered, ignoring the rest of Derf's speech. "I just stopped as I was passing to get some money." Derf's eyes narrowed to slits. He lounged forward, bent and secured a bit of wood from the chip pile and commenced to whittle. Such rapid and abrupt negotiations are quite foreign to mountain business ethics, where it takes a half a day to collect a day's wages. "Want some money," Derf repeated contemplatively. "You mean that thar money for the haulin', I reckon." "Yes," returned Lance impatiently, "I couldn't very well mean any other." [118] "Well, Lance, you shorely ain't forgettin' that that thar money ain't due till next month," Derf said, setting a foot on the chopping block and proceeding to pick his teeth with the toothpick he had shaped. "The haulin' ain't all done yet." "No, I ain't forgot that; but I knew you had money by you, and I didn't reckon you'd object to paying some of it ahead of time." Cleaverage forced himself to speak civilly, though his temper was rising. Derf chuckled. "Now see here," he shifted the raised foot, and set forth evidently on a long argument. "Thar ain't no man livin' that likes to pay money afore hit's due. Ef I've got the cash by me, that's my good fortune. Ef you want payment ahead of time, it's worth somethin'. What do you aim to take for the debt as it stands, me to pay you today? Of course I'm good for it; but this here business is the same as discountin' a note, and that calls for money. What'll you take, Lance?" "Whatever you'll give me, I reckon," Lance came back quickly, with light scorn. "Looks like you've got it your own way. What are you offering?" "Oh, I ain't offerin' nothin'," Derf receded from his proposition. A shrewd enjoyment was evident beneath the surface stupidity and reluctance. "It's you that wants the money. Looks like you must want it pretty bad." Nothing but the fact that he conceived it [119] necessary to have the funds, kept Lance from breaking out wrathfully and leaving his tormentor. "See here, Garrett Derf," he said at last, divided between scorn and angry dignity, "I made you one offer--and I'd think the meanest man would call it good enough--I'll take what money you choose to give me. Now you can say the rest." "See here, Lance," echoed Derf, grinning, and glancing toward the cabin, "you ort not to trade so careless these days and times. Yo're a married man now; you've got to look out for yo' spare cash, or yo' ol' woman'll be in yo' hair. What you needin' all this here money for, anyway?" The day before, Derf durst not for his life inquire so closely into Lance Cleaverage's affairs. Now he felt that he held the boy in a cleft stick. Something of this Lance understood; also, the allusion to Callista's right to vise his bargains stung him beyond reason. No doubt he knew at bottom that what he was now engaged on was unfair to her.