over the fields with some thirty men--farmers, miners, advocates, and
parsons--at his heels, and then drew up on the roadside by the
"Hibernian," and there mounted the till-board of a cart for the final
reckoning, little Jacob was too much moved to be present, though his
brothers were there, all glooming around on the outside of the group,
with their hands in their breeches pockets.

Ballacraine was knocked down cheap to somebody that nobody knew, and
then came the work of the mortgages; so once again Jacob went off to
Marky the Lord, and bargained to be made mortgagor, though no one was
to be a whit the wiser. And ten per cent. he was to get from each of
his five brothers for the use of the money which next day came back
to his own hands.

Thus far all was straight dealing, but with the approach of the time
to go to Iceland the complications grew thick. Jacob had so husbanded
his money that while seeming to spend he still possessed it, and now
he was troubled to know where to lodge that portion of it which he
should not want in Iceland and might find it unsafe to take there.
And while he was in the throes of his uncertainty his brothers--all
save John--were in the travail of their own big conception.

Now Asher, Stean, Ross and Thurstan, having each made up his mind
that he would go to Iceland also, had to consider how to get there,
for their late bargaining had left them all penniless. The proceeds
of the sale of Ballacraine were lodged with Jacob for Greeba, and
Jacob also held as his own what had come to each man from his
mortgage. So thinking that Jacob must have more than he could want,
they approached him one by one, confidentially and slyly. And
wondrous were the lies they told him, for they dare not confess that
their sole need of money was to go to Iceland after him, and watch
him that he did not cheat them when Greeba sent them all their
fortunes in return for their brotherly love of her.

Thus Asher took Jacob aside and whispered, "I'm morthal hard pressed
for a matter of five and thirty pound, boy--just five and thirty, for
draining and fencing. I make bold to think you'll lend me the like of
it, and six per cent. I'll be paying reg'lar."

"Ah, I can't do it, Asher," said Jacob, "for old Marky the Lord has
stripped me."

Then came Stean, plucking a bit of ling and looking careless, and he
said, "I've got a fine thing on now. I can buy a yoke of ploughing
oxen for thirty pound. Only thirty, and a de