."

"That's an old song of yours, girlie. But, seriously, Phil, you and
Jim Langford could double and re-double your money if you only put it
into some of the land you buy for others. You would save commission
too, which is quite an item."

"Well, sir!--it is a policy we settled on when we started in, and it
is a policy that has gained for us very many clients and has been the
means of getting us considerable Old Country capital for investment in
first mortgages. If we had not been on this conservative basis, we
should never have received the agency for Langford & Macdonald's
wealthy clientele."

"You would never have needed it, man."

"But we are doing pretty well, and at the finish we shall be on top.
That is more than every land speculator will be able to say when the
finish comes."

"If we ever see it! But meantime, you could make your stake and be out
of it. That's what I mean to do myself."

"Don't you think it is getting near to the time when one should start
in unloading; at least when he should stop acquiring more? This has
been a fairly long boom."

"Boom? Did you say boom? Man, alive!--this isn't a boom, it is the
natural growth to real values. I saw this coming fifteen years ago.
And it is good for a long time yet. Why!--this is an investment in
industry. This is a Fruit Valley;--the best fruit growing country in
British Columbia. This isn't a mushroom townsite proposition. You
can't compare this with ordinary realty wild-catting."

"I agree with you, sir, and I guess my puny opinion does not carry
much weight, but the unfortunate thing is that we are beginning to
produce the fruit here in the Valley and the harvest is becoming
greater and greater every year, but Mr. Apple Grower has not created
an outlet for his production; he has no great organisation to market
for him; no central control for his prices;--and the result is that
for years--unless he wakes up--he is going to get a miserable pittance
for his crop from travelling jobbers, or it is going to rot on his
hands. He is going to suffer loss and possible bankruptcy if we can't
hold up until he co-operates, unionises, and makes his own market and
prices from a central control."

"All in due season, son, when the time comes. But that is away from
buying and selling of land. Personally, I raise cattle, pigs,
horses;--I never have any trouble finding a market.

"And trust me, when you see _me_ getting quietly from under, follow
suit and you