“And I tell you, Ben,” replied the “Old King,” with emphasis, “your boys—and they're good boys, too—can't tie no ten acres in a day. They've got the chance of tryin' on that ten acres of wheat on my west fifty. If they can do it in a day they can have it.”
“They wouldn't take it,” answered Ben regretfully. “They can do it, fast enough.”
Then the “Old King” quite lost patience. “Now, Ben, shut up! You're a blowhard! Why, I'd bet any man the whole field against $50 that it can't be done.”
“I'll take you on that,” said Alec Murray.
“What?” The “Old King” was nonplussed for a moment.
“I'll take that. But I guess you don't mean it.”
But the “Old King” was too much of a sport to go back upon his offer. “It's big odds,” he said. “But I'll stick to it. Though I want to tell you, there's nearer twelve acres than ten.”
“I know the field,” said Alec. “But I'm willing to risk it. The winner pays the wages. How long a day?” continued Alec.
“Quit at six.”
“The best part of the day is after that.”