He had a speaking acquaintance with Jonas Durwood, the owner of the thirty acres referred to above, and knew something about the property in question.
It had been on the market for some time.
Durwood had been offering it at $15,000, one-third cash, balance on a five-year mortgage.
The four real estate men evidently intended purchasing the property at the reduced figure for spot cash, with the view of cutting it up into lots and then disposing of them at a good profit on the whole investment.
“So,” thought Dick, “they would sooner give sixteen thousand than let it slip through their fingers. A thirty-day option on it can be had for a thousand. Well, I’ve got a thousand lying idle. What’s the matter with my stealing a march on this syndicate of four, getting the option myself, and then make them come to terms with me. If they should refuse to deal with me, it might put me in a hole; but I guess Mr. Nesbitt would see me through, for that piece of ground is well worth fifteen thousand at any rate.”
Dick thought he saw a fine chance to make $3,000 or $4,000 inside of a month if he took the thing on the fly.
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” he muttered as he drew near the office. “By the great horn spoon, I’ll do it! My bank-book is upstairs. I’ll draw the money and take it down with me to Sodom this afternoon, for fortunately this is the day I am due there. When that chap goes down to-morrow he’ll find that someone else has got ahead of him. Gee! Won’t he be hopping mad? Well, I guess!”
It was Dick’s rule not to let the grass grow under his feet when he embarked in an enterprise.
Therefore he hustled to get his money, and left on an early afternoon train for Sodom.
He hunted up Jonas Durwood right away and made him a twelve-thousand-dollar cash offer for the thirty acres.