"'And that's the lowest figure. Great auk eggs is wuth twenty-one thousand and six hundred dollars a dozen!'
"Abner rose from his chair. 'Joe Pearson,' he said, 'what are you talkin' about?'
"'I'm talkin' about makin' the biggest kind of money, and if you choose to go in with me you can make big money too. I'm all correct, and I can show you the figures.'
"Abner now sat down and leaned over toward Pearson. 'Whar's it likely to fin' nests?' said he.
"'Nests!' exclaimed Pearson, in disdain. 'If I could find two of 'em—fresh ones—I'd call my fortune made.'
"'I should say so,' said Abner, 'sellin' for thirty-six hundred dollars! But what is there so all-fired good about 'em to make 'em sell like that?'
"'Scerceness,' said Joe. 'Apart from scerceness they ain't no better'n any other egg. But there's mighty few of 'em in market now, and all of them's blowed.'
"'And no good?' said Abner.
"'They say not,' said the other. 'For scerceness they're better blowed than stale, which they're bound to be if they're kept.'
"'But what's your idea about 'em?' said Abner.