in his eyes, whipped there by the biting wind.

"How far are we now from town?" he asked dispiritedly.

"Only about five miles," Billy cheered. Then, as if trivial speech had
made easier what he had in mind to say, he turned resolutely toward
the other. "Yuh expect to meet old man Robinson there, don't yuh?"

"That was the arrangement, as I understood it"

"And you're thinking strong of buying him out?"

"His place appeals to me more than any of the others, and--yes, it
seems to me that I can't do better." Mr. Dill turned the collar of his
coat up a bit farther--or fancied he did so--and looked questioningly
at Billy.

"Yuh gave me leave to advise yuh where yuh needed it," Billy said
almost challengingly, "and I'm going to call yuh, right here and now.
If yuh take my advice yuh won't go making medicine with old Robinson
any more. He'll do yuh, sure. He's asking yuh double what the outfit's
worth. They _all_ are. It looks to me like they think you're just out
here to get rid of your pile and the bigger chunk they can pry loose
from yuh the better. I was going to put yuh next before this, only yuh
didn't seem to take to any uh the places real serious, so it wasn't
necessary."

"I realize that one cannot buy land and cattle for nothing," Dill
chuckled. "It seemed to me that, compared with the prices others have
asked, Mr. Robinson's offer was very reasonable."