“And that's the very point,” Smoke went on triumphantly. “If it makes you wonder, it will make others wonder. And when they wonder they'll come a-running. By your own wondering you prove it's sound psychology. Now, Shorty, listen to me; I'm going to hand Dawson a package that will knock the spots out of the egg-laugh. Come on inside.”
“Hello,” said Sanderson, as they re-entered. “I thought I'd seen the last of you.”
“Now what is your lowest figure?” Smoke asked.
“Twenty thousand.”
“I'll give you ten thousand.”
“All right, I'll sell at that figure. It's all I wanted in the first place. But when will you pay the dust over?”
“To-morrow, at the Northwest Bank. But there are two other things I want for that ten thousand. In the first place, when you receive your money you pull down the river to Forty Mile and stay there the rest of the winter.”
“That's easy. What else?”
“I'm going to pay you twenty-five thousand, and you rebate me fifteen of it.”
“I'm agreeable.” Sanderson turned to Shorty. “Folks said I was a fool when I come over here an' town-sited,” he jeered. “Well, I'm a ten thousand dollar fool, ain't I?”