time to think
that over yet. A feller can't decide on a thing like that all at once.
It ain't likely no one in Kilo would buy a fire-extinguisher like them,
all nickel-plated, if they had their senses about 'em. 'Twouldn't be
natural. I might raffle 'em off, only nobody'd be likely to buy chances
on a fire-extinguisher. I might take 'em down to Jefferson, but I
don't see as that would do much good, nobody'd be likely to buy
fire-extinguishers off of me down there."

"No," said the attorney, turning to his table and looking over some
papers, with an appearance of interest, "No, I guess not. I don't see
that you can do much of anything with them, unless you use them for
ornaments. It seems a pity that Miss Briggs didn't go to Skinner for
advice about that box, instead of you, doesn't it?"

The Colonel stopped with a lighted match half way to his cigar.

"What do you mean?" he asked, red in the face. "Do you mean that puffy
old beef-cutter's got more sense than what I have, young man?"

"Oh, no," said the attorney, carelessly. "Not at all. I was
just thinking that if Skinner HAD opened that box, and HAD found
fire-extinguishers in it, it would have been a fine chance for him to
say to Miss Briggs, 'Madam, I am building in this town an opera house,
known as Skinner's Opera House. The safety of the people of Kilo demands
fire-extinguishers in Skinner's Opera House. I will take those four
nickel-plated appliances and install them in my opera house, and
allow you ten dollars apiece for them, cash or meat.' But, of course,"
continued the attorney innocently, "you can't do that; you haven't built
an opera house."

The Colonel's little eyes peered at the attorney, and they were filled
with cunning. Across his hard mouth a smile crept and broadened until he
had to lay his hand across it, it was so indecently wide and exultant.

"Skinner is no fool," continued the attorney. "As soon as he hears that
Miss Briggs has those four things he will probably rush right up to her
house and offer to buy them. It would be a great feather in his cap with
her, if he could get the credit of having thought of it. I shouldn't
wonder if he had heard of what was in that box by this time. It seems a
pity, doesn't it, that he should get all the credit after you have done
all the work?"

The Colonel looked at the noncommittal face of the attorney, and smiled
again. This was a sort of cunning he could appreciate, and he leaned
over and gave Tool