he
room knew they knew; and that nobody in the room was disposed to prevent
Mr Middlecoat's acquiring whatever was offered.

Under these conditions the sale proceeded swiftly, pleasantly, and
without a hitch. Cai cast frequent glances back at the door. But the
minutes sped on, and still Mrs Bosenna did not appear.

"Lot 9--A field known as Barton's Orchard. Two perches only short of
two acres--"

"Say twenty-five," said Mr Middlecoat carelessly.

Again Cai glanced back. The farm land had been fetching on an average
some twenty to twenty-five pounds an acre. . . . Why was Mrs Bosenna not
here?

On an impulse--annoyed, perhaps, by the young farmer's
take-it-for-granted tone--he called out "Thirty!"

The auctioneer and Mr Baker--who had just signified, by a slight frown,
that he could not accept the young farmer's bid--glanced up incuriously.
Mr Middlecoat, too, turned about, not recognising the voice of his new
"bonnet,"--to use a term not unfamiliar in auctioneering.

But Cai did catch their glances: for at the same moment he, too, wheeled
about at the sound of a deep voice by the door.

"Forty!"

"Eh?" murmured Mr Dewy and Mr Baker, together taken by surprise.
And "Hullo, what the dev--" began Mr Middlecoat, when Cai promptly
chimed "Fifty!"

For the new bidder was 'Bias, of course: and well, in a flash, Cai
guessed his game. Since Mrs Bosenna chose to tarry, 'Bias was bidding
against him. It was a duel. Should 'Bias win and present her with
these coveted two acres? Never!

"Sixty!"

"Here, I say!" Mr Middlecoat was heard to gasp in protest. But he too
began to suspect a game. "Sixty-five!" The duel had become triangular.

"Seventy!"

"Eighty!" intoned 'Bias.

"A hundred!" Cai's jaw was set.

By this time all heads were turned to the new competitors. Two or three
of the farmers were whispering, asking if by any chance there was
mineral in dispute. One had heard--or so he alleged--that "manganese"
had been discovered somewhere up the valley--before his time--but he
could remember his father telling of it.

Mr Middlecoat stepped to the window and glanced out in to the square for
a moment. He returned, and nervously bid "Ten more!"

"Excuse me," the auctioneer corrected him blandly; "the gentleman at the
far end of the room--I didn't catch his name--"

"Hunken," said 'Bias.

"_Captain_ Hunken," prompted Mr Philp.

"Er--excuse me, Mr Middlecoat, but Captain Hunken has just offered