as a lady is enquirin', I'll put him down to one hundred and twenty-five.""Too much," she said promptly, "far too much, is it not, Bill?""Well," drawled Bill, "if 'twere a fellar as was used to ladies he'd offer you the pinto, but he's too pizen mean even to come down to the even hundred."The Yankee took him up quickly."Wall, if I were so blanked--pardon, madam"--taking off his hat, "used to ladies as some folks would like to think themselves, I'd buy that there pinto and make a present of it to this here lady as stands before me." Bill twisted uneasily.
"But I ain't goin' to be mean; I'll put that pinto in for the even money for the lady if any man cares to put up the stuff.""Well, my dear," said the Hon.Fred with a bow, "we cannot well let that gage lie." She turned and smiled at him and the pinto was transferred to the Ashley stables, to Bill's outspoken delight, who declared he "couldn't have faced the music if that there pinto had gone across the line." I confess, however, I was somewhat surprised at the ease with which Hi escaped his wrath, and my surprise was in no way lessened when I saw, later in the evening, the two partners with the stranger taking a quiet drink out of the same bottle with evident mutual admiration and delight.
"You're an A1 corker, you are! I'll be blanked if you ain't a bird--a singin' bird--a reg'lar canary," I heard Hi say to Bill.
But Bill's only reply was a long, slow wink which passed into a frown as he caught my eye.My suspicion was aroused that the sale of the pinto might bear investigation, and this suspicion was deepened when Gwen next week gave me a rapturous account of how splendidly Bill had disposed of the pinto, showing me bills for one hundred and fifty dollars! To my look of amazement, Gwen replied:
"You see, he must have got them bidding against each other, and besides, Bill says pintos are going up."Light began to dawn upon me, but I only answered that I knew they had risen very considerably in value within a month.The extra fifty was Bill's.
I was not present to witness the finishing of Bill's bluff, but was told that when Bill made his way through the crowded aisle and laid his five hundred and fifty dollars on the schoolhouse desk the look of disgust, surprise and finally of pleasure on Robbie's face, was worth a hundred more.But Robbie was ready and put down his two hundred with the single remark:
"Ay! ye're no as daft as ye look," mid roars of laughter from all.
Then The Pilot, with eyes and face shining, rose and thanked them all; but when he told of how the little girl in her lonely shack in the hills thought so much of the church that she gave up for it her beloved pony, her one possession, the light from his eyes glowed in the eyes of all.
But the men from the ranches who could understand the full meaning of her sacrifice and who also could realize the full measure of her calamity, were stirred to their hearts' depths, so that when Bill remarked in a very distinct undertone, "I cherish the opinion that this here Gospel shop wouldn't be materializin' into its present shape but for that leetle gel," there rose growls of approval in a variety of tones and expletives that left no doubt that his opinion was that of all.
But though The Pilot never could quite get at the true inwardness of Bill's measures and methods, and was doubtless all the more comfortable in mind for that, he had no doubt that while Gwen's influence was the moving spring of action, Bill's bluff had a good deal to do with the "materializin'" of the first church in Swan Creek, and in this conviction, I share.
Whether the Hon.Fred ever understood the peculiar style of Bill's financing, I do not quite know.But if he ever did come to know, he was far too much of a man to make a fuss.Besides, I fancy the smile on his lady's face was worth some large amount to him.At least, so the look of proud and fond love in his eyes seemed to say as he turned away with her from the fire the night of the pinto's sale.
