ay, if you keep the ranch, by your own
hard work. You will be handicapped for years, deprived of many things
you would otherwise have. On the other hand," Mr. Braden continued,
warming to his subject, "if you sold this place all debt would be wiped
out, you would have a nice lump sum in cash, and you would be as free
as--er--birds. You could take a year's holiday, travel, or," he added,
seeing no signs of enthusiasm in Angus' face, "you could go into one of
the new districts just opening up, buy virgin land, full of--of--er--"

"Full of alkali?" Angus suggested gravely.

"Alkali! Not at all," said Mr. Braden frowning. "'Potentialities' was
the word I had in mind. Yes, full of potentialities. In a new district
you would become prosperous, free from the ball and chain of debt. That
is the sensible course. Now what do you think of it?"

"Not much," said Angus.

"Huh! Why not?" Mr. Braden inquired, plainly disappointed at this
reception of his disinterested advice.

"Because I have a good ranching proposition here. And you wouldn't pay
what the land will be worth some day if I hang on."

"What will it be worth?"

"About a hundred dollars an acre."

"You're right, I wouldn't pay it," Mr. Braden concurred. "Ridiculous. I
would give you say twenty dollars, all around, and that's more than it's
worth."

"Just as it stands--stock, implements and all?"

Mr. Braden looked at Angus, but failed to read his face.

"That's what I had in mind. But if you were making a start elsewhere and
needed some of the implements and stock--why I wouldn't insist. Say for
the land alone."

Angus laughed.

"All right, laugh!" said Mr. Braden frowning. "Go and get a new loan,
then. And don't lose any time about it, either."

"You seem to be in a hurry."

"I never delay business matters," Mr. Braden replied. "Get your loan,
and get it at once. Otherwise I shall exercise the rights which the
mortgage gives me."

"That is plain enough," said Angus.

"It's intended to be," said Mr. Braden.

Thence Angus went to Judge Riley's office and told him the situation.
The Judge jotted figures on a pad.

"To clean up you will want nearly eleven thousand dollars," he said.
"That's a large sum for this country."

"The property is worth three or four times that."

"Yes, on a basis of land at so much per acre. But uncultivated land
isn't productive. You have to pay interest out of what you grow. Few
concerns will lend money on raw land. Then