"Then you ought to. Jean Baptiste, huh! You'll bluff Jean Baptiste! Say, that's funny." Suddenly his face took on a cold hard expression. "Why, that's one of the shrewdest, one of the wisest, one of the most forcible men in this country. Have you never heard of Jean Baptiste? Oh, you fools! He's worth forty thousand dollars—made it himself and is not over twenty-five."
"Is that so?" they echoed, taken aback.
"Well, I should say so, and everybody in the county knows it."
"But they haven't lived on the place as they should!" protested Spaight, weakly.
"Something like yourself," laughed Duval. Spaight colored guiltily.
"But I can prove it," insisted Spaight.
"Well, in so far as that goes, I wouldn't doubt but they have not lived on the land. Baptiste owns a lot of land in the county east, and the chances are that he's been so busy that his wife has neglected to stay on the claim as she should have. Yes, that is quite likely."
"Then we can contest it?" cried Spaight.
"Of course. You can contest any place so far as that goes."
"Well, that's what we intend to do. And I have the goods on him and am sure we can win."