“Forty? Nonsense. If you sold it for fifteen you’d be getting more than it was worth. We’ll give you twenty dollars for the animal, and not another cent.”
“I’ll not take it,” stormed the farmer.
“That’s right! Make ’em pay more, or sue ’em!” put in Noddy.
“You mind your own affairs, Nixon!” said the professor curtly, and Noddy slunk back toward his machine.
“Will you take twenty dollars, or will you let the matter go to court?” asked the scientist, taking some bills from his pocket, and motioning to the boys that he would conduct the case for them.
“I want thirty dollars, anyhow,” said Mr. Sackett. “Ha! Here comes Abner with the constable. Now we’ll see what happens.”
“Offer him twenty-five, and I think he’ll take it,” said Ned in a low voice. “We can’t stay here any longer.”
“All right, if you say so,” agreed the professor, “but I think I could get him down to twenty. Well, Mr. Sackett,” went on the scientist, “we’ll pay you twenty-five dollars, and not another cent. If that’s not satisfactory we’ll give the constable a bond, and we’ll fight the case in the courts.”
This was said with such an air of decision that the farmer saw that it was useless to stand out for more.