"It doesn't count for much whether he does or not," said Haldane languidly. "I'll raise him two hundred and fifty."
"I'm not satisfied with his," broke in the irrepressible Steel. "I can't leave my money lying round right under that man's hand, Mr. Auctioneer. No, sir; I won't feel easy until I've put it where it's safer. Besides, he called me a friend of the mortgage holder, and I'm waiting for an apology."
The stranger from the cities grew very red in face, and a fresh laugh, which was not all good-humor, went up from the crowd; but, as the auctioneer prepared to grapple with this new phase of affairs, a man in uniform reined in a gray horse beside the speaker, and looked down at him. There was a faint twinkle in his eyes, though the rest of his countenance was grim, and he laid a hard hand on the other's shoulder.
"Ye'll just wait a while longer, Charlie Steel," he said. "I'm thinking ye will at least be held fully responsible for anything calculated to cause a breach of the peace."
Thereafter the bidding proceeded without interruption, Haldane and his rival advancing by fifties or hundreds of dollars, while, when the prairie syndicate's united treasury was exhausted, which happened very soon, a few other strangers joined in. Meanwhile, the suspense had grown almost insupportable to me. That I must lose disastrously was certain now, but I clung to the hope that I might still start at Crane Valley clear of debt. Haldane was bidding with manifest indifference, and at last he stopped.
The auctioneer, calling the price out, looked at him, but Carson Haldane shook his head, and said, with unusual distinctness: "The other gentlemen may have it. I have gone further than I consider justifiable already."
I saw Lane glance at him with a puzzled expression, and next moment try to signal the stranger, who was clearly in league with him, and fail in the attempt to attract his attention. Then I held my breath, for, after two more reluctant bids, there was only silence when the auctioneer repeated the last offer.
"Is there anyone willing to exceed this ridiculous figure? It's your last chance, gentlemen. Going, going——" And my hopes died out as he dropped the hammer.
"Nothing left but to make the best of it," said Steel; which was very poor consolation, for I could see nothing good at all in the whole affair.
There was much brisker bidding for the implements, working oxen, and remnant of the stock, which were within the limits of my neighbors, and who did their best; but the prices realized were by comparison merely a drop in the bucket, and I turned away disconsolate, knowing that the worst I feared had come to pass. All the borrowed money had been sunk in the improvement of that property, and now the mortgage holder, who had even before the sale been almost repaid, owned the whole of it, land and improvements, and still held a lien on me for a balance of the debt.