THE WOLF HUNTERS 



outfit. To buy your outfit would clean us 

 out. 



"Well," said Bill, "make a bid of what you can 

 afford to give, not what it's worth. They do not 

 expect to get what it's worth." 



"It sounds like a mighty small price, Bill, and 

 I'm ashamed to make you the offer," said Tom 

 hesitatingly, "but two hundred dollars is as much 

 as we can afford to give and still buy our other 

 truck. Would your men consider such a bid as 

 that.?" 



"Boys, that does seem like giving the outfit 

 away, and until I see my men I won't say whether 

 they'll take it or not, but I'll talk for you a little 

 and help you out all I can. They told me to sell 

 the rig for whatever I could get, and I'll tell 

 them that two hundred dollars is the best offer I 

 have had — it's the only one; if they say it's a go 

 the outfit is yours." 



As we stood on a corner near the levee awaiting 

 Bill's return we heard the long, hoarse whistle of 

 a steamboat, and saw one approaching from down 

 the river, though still some distance away. A 

 little later Bill came hurrying out of the hotel 

 and gladdened our hearts by telling us that our 

 oflPer had been accepted. His men were to take 

 the approaching steamer to Saint Joe, and he 

 must hurry back to Brown's stable and help get 

 their fine hunting-horses aboard the boat. 



I counted him out the two hundred dollars, 



22 



