“That ’s what President Tetlow said,” remarked John quietly.
“Um-m—Did he? What else did he say?”
John smiled a little. “He said if you were going to try to do him, it was safer to do him inside the law.”
“Hm-m—How much is he going to stick us for?”
“Twelve thousand.”
“Can’t do it,” said the man. He sat up very straight and folded his fingers across his stomach, guarding his rights.
“He said it would be worth that—The whole district has suffered. The crop ’s a dead loss.”
“Why don’t he let them fight for themselves?”
“I guess he thinks he ’s more used to it than they are.”
The manager of the C. B. and L. looked at him a moment. “Tell him we ’ll settle for ten thousand—and not a cent more.”