"'Tain't likely I'll be called on; I guess $500 is safe enough," drawled
Bill, cunningly drawing him on. Then Robbie bit.
"Oo ay!" said he, in a voice of quiet contempt, "the twa hunner wull be
here and 'twull wait ye long eneuch, I'se warrant ye."
Then Bill nailed him.
"I hain't got my card case on my person," he said, with a slight grin.
"Left it on the pianner," suggested Hi, who was in a state of great
hilarity at Bill's success in drawing the Scottie.
"But," Bill proceeded, recovering himself, and with increasing suavity,
"if some gentleman would mark down the date of the almanac I cherish the
opinion" [cheers from the corner] "that in one month from to-day there
will be five hundred dollars lookin' round for two hundred on that there
desk mebbe, or p'raps you would incline to two fifty," he drawled, in
his most winning tone to Robbie, who was growing more impatient every
moment.
"Nae matter tae me. Ye're haverin' like a daft loon, ony way."
"You will make a memento of this slight transaction, boys, and per'aps
the schoolmaster will write it down," said Bill.
It was all carefully taken down, and amid much enthusiastic confusion
the ranchers and their gang carried Bill off to Old Latour's to "licker
up," while Robbie, in deep wrath but in dour silence, went off through
the dark with his little wife following some paces behind him.
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