as the fellow's reply, "fur 's the comin' due 's concerned,
but the payin' part 's another matter."

"Was you cal'latin' to have it renewed?" asked David, leaning a little
forward.

"No," said the man coolly, "I don't know 's I want to renew it fer any
pertic'ler time, an' I guess it c'n run along fer a while jest as 't
is." John looked at Dick Larrabee. He was watching David's face with an
expression of the utmost enjoyment. David twisted his chair a little
more to the right and out from the desk.

"You think it c'n run along, do ye?" he asked suavely. "I'm glad to have
your views on the subject. Wa'al, I guess it kin, too, until _to-morro'_
at four o'clock, an' after that you c'n settle with lawyer Johnson or
the sheriff." The man uttered a disdainful laugh.

"I guess it'll puzzle ye some to c'lect it," he said. Mr. Harum's bushy
red eyebrows met above his nose.

"Look here, Bill Montaig," he said, "I know more 'bout this matter 'n
you think for. I know 't you ben makin' your brags that you'd fix me in
this deal. You allowed that you'd set up usury in the fust place, an' if
that didn't work I'd find you was execution proof anyways. That's so,
ain't it?"

"That's about the size on't," said Montaig, putting his feet a little
farther apart. David had risen from his chair.

"You didn't talk that way," proceeded the latter, "when you come whinin'
'round here to git that money in the fust place, an' as I reckon some o'
the facts in the case has slipped out o' your mind since that time, I
guess I'd better jog your mem'ry a little."

It was plain from the expression of Mr. Montaig's countenance that his
confidence in the strength of his position was not quite so assured as
at first, but he maintained his attitude as well as in him lay.

"In the fust place," David began his assault, "_I_ didn't _lend_ ye the
money. I borr'ed it for ye on my indorsement, an' charged ye fer doin'
it, as I told ye at the time; an' another thing that you appear to
forgit is that you signed a paper statin' that you was wuth, in good and
available pusson'ls, free an' clear, over five hunderd dollars, an' that
the statement was made to me with the view of havin' me indorse your
note fer one-fifty. Rec'lect that?" David smiled grimly at the look of
disconcert which, in spite of himself, appeared in Bill's face.

"I don't remember signin' no paper," he said doggedly.

"Jest as like as not," remarked Mr. Harum. "What _you_ was thinkin' of
a