“More horses!”
“Ain't I got two teams haulin' lumber for the new winery? An' Barney's got a bad shoulder-sprain. He'll have to lay off a long time if he's to get it in shape. An' Bridget ain't ever goin' to do a tap of work again. I can see that stickin' out. I've doctored her an' doctored her. She's fooled the vet, too. An' some of the other horses has gotta take a rest. That span of grays is showin' the hard work. An' the big roan's goin' loco. Everybody thought it was his teeth, but it ain't. It's straight loco. It's money in pocket to take care of your animals, an' horses is the delicatest things on four legs. Some time, if I can ever see my way to it, I 'm goin' to ship a carload of mules from Colusa County—big, heavy ones, you know. They'd sell like hot cakes in the valley here—them I didn't want for myself.”
Or, in lighter vein, Billy: “By the way, Saxon, talkin' of accounts, what d'you think Hazel an' Hattie is worth?—fair market price?”
“Why?”
“I 'm askin' you.”
“Well, say, what you paid for them—three hundred dollars.”
“Hum.” Billy considered deeply. “They're worth a whole lot more, but let it go at that. An' now, gettin' back to accounts, suppose you write me a check for three hundred dollars.”
“Oh! Robber!”
“You can't show me. Why, Saxon, when I let you have grain an' hay from my carloads, don't you give me a check for it? An' you know how you're stuck on keepin' your accounts down to the penny,” he teased. “If you're any kind of a business woman you just gotta charge your business with them two horses. I ain't had the use of 'em since I don't know when.”
“But the colts will be yours,” she argued. “Besides, I can't afford brood mares in my business. In almost no time, now, Hazel and Hattie will have to be taken off from the wagon—they're too good for it anyway. And you keep your eyes open for a pair to take their place. I'll give you a check for THAT pair, but no commission.”