“We took one out behind a ice-jam in the middle of the river an' busted it open. Eggs!—full of 'em, all packed in sawdust. Smoke, you an' me lose. We've been gamblin'. D'ye know what he had the gall to say to me?—that they was all ourn at ten dollars a egg. D'ye know what he was doin' when I left his cabin?—drawin' a sign of eggs for sale. Said he'd give us first choice, at ten a throw, till 2 P. M., an' after that, if we didn't come across, he'd bust the market higher'n a kite. Said he wasn't no business man, but that he knowed a good thing when he seen it—meanin' you an' me, as I took it.”
“It's all right,” Smoke said cheerfully. “Keep your shirt on an' let me think a moment. Quick action and team play is all that's needed. I'll get Wild Water here at two o'clock to take delivery of eggs. You buy that Gautereaux's eggs. Try and make a bargain. Even if you pay ten dollars apiece for them, Wild Water will take them off our hands at the same price. If you can get them cheaper, why, we make a profit as well. Now go to it. Have them here by not later than two o'clock. Borrow Colonel Bowie's dogs and take our team. Have them here by two sharp.”
“Say, Smoke,” Shorty called, as his partner started down the hill. “Better take an umbrella. I wouldn't be none surprised to see the weather rainin' eggs before you get back.”
Smoke found Wild Water at the M. & M., and a stormy half-hour ensued.
“I warn you we've picked up some more eggs,” Smoke said, after Wild Water had agreed to bring his dust to the cabin at two o'clock and pay on delivery.
“You're luckier at finding eggs than me,” Wild Water admitted. “Now, how many eggs have you got now?—an' how much dust do I tote up the hill?”
Smoke consulted his notebook. “As it stands now, according to Shorty's figures, we've three thousand nine hundred and sixty-two eggs. Multiply by ten—”
“Forty thousand dollars!” Wild Water bellowed. “You said there was only something like nine hundred eggs. It's a stickup! I won't stand for it!”
Smoke drew the contract from his pocket and pointed to the PAY ON DELIVERY. “No mention is made of the number of eggs to be delivered. You agreed to pay ten dollars for every egg we delivered to you. Well, we've got the eggs, and a signed contract is a signed contract. Honestly, though, Wild Water, we didn't know about those other eggs until afterward. Then we had to buy them in order to make our corner good.”
For five long minutes, in choking silence, Wild Water fought a battle with himself, then reluctantly gave in.