“Too late?” smiled Hedin.  “What do you mean, too late?  The options do not expire until noon,” he paused and glanced up at the clock that ticked upon the wall, “and it still lacks twenty-five minutes of twelve.”

Cameron stared at the clock.  “It is a trick!” he cried.  “You turned the clock back!  What time have you, Murchison?”

The factor meticulously consulted his watch.  “Twenty-four minutes to twelve,” he announced.

“You are into it, too!”

Murchison smiled.  “Look at your own watch,” he suggested.  “What time have you got?”

Cameron drew out his timepiece and stared at it blankly.  “He laid his watch on the table between us,” he said in a bewildered tone, “and not until the hands reached twelve were the papers signed and the money paid.”

“What do you mean?” asked Hedin.  “The papers signed, and the money paid?”

“Why Orcutt, president of the Eureka Paper Company, bought the land after McNabb’s options expired.  Wentworth is his representative.”

“But McNabb’s options have not expired,” insisted Hedin.  “His payment has been tendered in the presence of a witness before the time of their expiration.  Any sale or contract entered into with Orcutt or anyone else concerning title to these lands is, of course, void.”

Cameron continued to stare at his watch.  “I do not understand it,” he muttered.

“I think I do,” offered Hedin.  “Was it Orcutt’s watch you consulted?”

“Yes, he laid it on the table, and we watched the hands mark off the time.”

“And you were an hour fast!  Orcutt carried Terrace City time, which is an hour faster than standard.  It is the so called daylight saving plan adopted by many cities and villages in the United States by act of council.  All that, of course, has no bearing on McNabb’s options, so there is nothing for you to do but accept payment and return Orcutt his money.”

“But you were here all the time!” cried Cameron.  “And you must have known what was going on.  Why didn’t you make yourself known?  Why did you let me go ahead with Orcutt?  We could have had the business over and done with two days ago—­and no complications.”

Hedin laughed.  “You will have to take that up with Mr. McNabb.  I was following out instructions to the letter.  And those instructions were very specific about not closing the deal within half an hour of the expiration of the options.”

“But what was his idea?”

“As I said before, you will have to ask him.  He had a reason, you may be sure.  I have noticed in my association with John McNabb that there is generally a reason for the things that he does—­though in many instances the reason is beyond me.”

Cameron’s exasperation at the sudden turn of events subsided.  He even managed a smile.  “He was within his rights,” he admitted, “and as you say, he must have had a reason.  But I don’t understand it.  Wentworth was McNabb’s man too—­until he swung over to Orcutt.  Yet he never suspected you were anything but Murchison’s clerk.”