“Phrony is back at home, I believes She has been off to school.  I hear she is very much improved?”

“I don’t know; I didn’t notice her particularly,” said Wickersham, indifferently.

“She is very pretty.  Jake Dennison thinks so,” laughed Keith.

“Jake Dennison?  Who is he?”

“He’s an old scholar of mine.  He is inside now on the front seat; one of your friends.”

“Oh, that’s the fellow!  I thought I had seen him before.  Well, he had better try some other stock, I guess.  He may find that cornered.  She is not going to take a clod like that.”

Wickersham went off into a train of reflection.

“I say, Keith,” he began unexpectedly, “maybe, you can help me about a matter, and if so I will make it worth your while.”

“About what matter?” asked Keith, wondering.

“Why, about that old dolt Rawson’s land.  You see, the governor has got himself rather concerned.  When he got this property up here in the mountains and started to build the railroad, some of these people here got wind of it.  That fool, Rhodes, talked about it too much, and they bought up the lands around the old man’s property.  They think the governor has got to buy ’em out.  Old Rawson is the head of ’em.  The governor sent Halbrook down to get it; but Halbrook is a fool, too.  He let him know he wanted to buy him out, and, of course, he raised.  You and he used to be very thick.  He was talking of you the other night.”

“He and I are great friends.  I have a great regard for him, and a much higher opinion of his sense than you appear to have.  He is a very shrewd man.”

“Shrewd the deuce!  He’s an old blockhead.  He has stumbled into the possession of some property which I am ready to pay him a fair price for.  He took it for a cow-pasture.  It isn’t worth anything.  It would only be a convenience to us to have it and prevent a row in the future, perhaps.  That is the only reason I want it.  Besides, his title to it ain’t worth a ——­, anyhow.  We have patents that antedate his.  You can tell him that the land is not worth anything.  I will give you a good sum if you get him to name a price at, say, fifty per cent. on what he gave for it.  I know what he gave for it.  You can tell him it ain’t worth anything to him and that his title is faulty.”

“No, I could not,” said Keith, shortly.

“Why not?”

“Because I think it is very valuable and his title perfect.  And he knows it.”

Wickersham glanced at him in the dusk.

“It isn’t valuable at all,” he said after a pause.  “I will give you a good fee if you will get through a deal for it at any price we may agree on.  Come!”

“No,” said Keith; “not for all the money you own.  My advice to you is to go to Squire Rawson and either offer to take him in with you to the value of his lands, or else make him a direct offer for what those lands are really worth.  He knows as much about the value of those lands as you or Mr. Halbrook or any one else knows.  Take my word for it.”