of money, Mr. Westland," he agreed, "but it isn't enough."

A look of relief came into Westland's eyes. Perhaps his task wasn't
hopeless after all.

"If that's the case, perhaps we can raise the figures a little," he said
eagerly, "although we thought we were making a very liberal offer. But as
I said before, we're no pikers, and we wouldn't let a few thousands stand
between us. State your terms."

"You don't understand," replied Joe. "What I meant was that there isn't
money enough in your whole crowd to make me go back on my word and jump my
contract."

"Hot off the bat!" exclaimed Jim. "Gee, I wish McRae and Robbie and the
rest of the Giant bunch could have heard this pow-wow."

Westland evidently had all he could do to contain himself. He had felt so
serenely confident in the power of his money that he had scarcely allowed
himself to think of failure. Yet here was his money flouted as though it
were counterfeit, and he himself, instead of being greeted with open arms,
was being treated with scorn and contempt.

"Upon my word, Mr. Matson," he said, with an evident effort to keep cool,
"you have a queer way of meeting a legitimate business proposition."

"That's just the trouble," retorted Joe. "It isn't legitimate and you know
it. In the first place you're offering me a good deal more than I'm
worth."

"Oh, I don't know about that," expostulated Jim loyally. "There's at least
one man in the league getting that much, and he never saw the day when he
was a better man than you are."

"More than I'm worth," repeated Joe. "Still, if that were all, and you
were simply trying to buy my baseball ability, it would be your own affair
if you were bidding too high. But you don't want to give me all this money
because I'm a good pitcher. It's because you want to make me a good liar.
You think that every man has his price and it's only a matter of bidding
to find out mine."

"Now, now!" said Westland, spots of color coming into his cheeks.

"And more than that," went on Joe, not heeding the interruption, "you want
to make me a tool to lead others to break their contracts, too. I'm to be
the bellwether of the flock. You figure that if it's once spread abroad
that Matson has jumped into the new league, it will start a stampede of
contract breakers. I tell you straight, Westland, it's dirty business. If
you want to start a new league, go ahead and do it in a decent way. Get
new players and develop them, or get star player