“Yep, it’s hot weather for the time o’ year,” Farmer Finkler allowed. “Good growing weather, though. Hay’s coming along nicely. Guess if we have a week or two like this I can begin cutting pretty early.”
“I suppose you have a lot of land, sir,” inquired Jack.
“’Bout a hundred and fifteen acres altogether. Most of it’s in grass. I use a heap o’ feed at my place. Eighteen or twenty head o’ horses and half a dozen cows eat a lot. Hay and grain’s about the only crop I raise nowadays.”
Jack was silent a minute, debating. Here was an opportunity to sound Mr. Finkler on the subject of the land they wanted to get, but whether it was advisable to mention the matter was a question. In the end he decided to take the risk.
“I suppose, sir,” he began, “you could get along pretty well with two or three acres less, couldn’t you?”
“Maybe I could,” replied Mr. Finkler cautiously. “Want to buy a piece, do you?”
“Yes, sir; at least the school wants to.”
“Huh! Wants a slice o’ my west meadow; I know all about that, young man! They’ve been wanting it a long time and they’ll keep on wanting it, I guess.”