"That's all right," said Fernie. "I will do all the bidding, and you can divide the proceeds between us."
"Yes," said Black, "that's what we want you to do."
Of course, I agreed to help and asked them to set out the things for sale.
When everything was ready, Black handed to me a list, neatly written and ruled with two money columns, one headed "Cost Price" and the other "Sale Price."
I had never acted as auctioneer before, but that didn't matter; entering into the spirit of the thing, I began.
"Gentlemen, I have here as fine a span of donkeys and as sound a waggon as ever came north of the Zambesi——"
But Fernie cut me short with: "A hundred and sixty pounds."
I looked at the list. In the cost-price column, against the item "span of donkeys and a waggon" was set £160.
I got no fun out of the sale at all. Fernie bought everything, bidding cost price for everything. The total, I think, came to just three hundred pounds.
"Black, I owe you a hundred and fifty, and here you are."