I have left you the subject for a pleasant dream, and
I must go now to look for Parker. As I said to your father, there is no
telling how much money we may get, but whatever comes we share."

"Not if it's very much, Bill. I don't need much; I wouldn't know what to
do with it. But if you could only do one thing it would make me the
happiest man that ever lived."

"Tell me what it is. It can surely be done."

"Why, if I could only get the old Morton place. It's about three miles
from the General's, and it used to belong to his grandfather. One of his
aims in life has been to get it back into the family, and if you could
get it for me----"

"You shall have it."

"Don't say so, Bill, unless you think there's a chance."

"It's not a chance, but a certainty. You shall have the place. And what
a delight it will be to the General to visit his daughter there. Now,
don't speculate--let it be settled. Well, I'll see you to-morrow and
tell you how it's all to turn out, but have no fears about getting the
farm."

I found Parker at the tavern. He told me that I might have a few acres
of land down about the spring, but that I would have to pay a little
more for it than he had paid. "We can't afford to trade for the mere fun
of it," he said. "My father used to do such things and they came mighty
nigh having to haul him to the poor house."

I offered him a sum that pleased him, that must, indeed, have delighted
him, for he offered to go out and set up a feast of cove oysters and
crackers, a great and liberal ceremony in the country; and over the tin
plates in a grocery store the transaction was celebrated. I met him
again early at morning, and before the day was half-grown I saw our
transaction spread upon the records. And at night Ging arrived. I
introduced him to Conkwright. "The Judge will represent me," said I,
"and I will stand by any agreement he may enter into with you."

"All right," Ging replied. "How far is it out to the mine?"

"About five miles."

"Better go out to-night. Haven't any time to lose. Get a rig and we'll
go out."

"Might as well wait until morning," said the Judge. "We can't do
anything to-night."

"I know, but by staying there to-night we'll be there right early in the
morning. Get a rig."

They drove away and I went round to the jail to tell Alf that the old
Morton place was rapidly coming his way. I slept but little that night
and I was nervous the next day, as I sat in the Judge's office w