k business to him.
That's a language he understands."

"How much money do you expect to realize?"

"About half a million dollars."

"In return for what?"

"A quit claim deed to the Rancho Palomar. He can have a title in fee
simple to the ranch by noon tomorrow and thus be spared the necessity
for a new suit to foreclose that accursed mortgage and the concomitant
wait of one year before taking possession. He will then be free to
continue his well-drilling and dam-building in Caliente Basin; he can
immediately resume his negotiations with Okada for the purchase of the
entire valley and will be enabled, in all probability, to close the
deal at a splendid profit. Then he can proceed to erect his
hydro-electric plant and sell it for another million dollars' profit to
one of the parent power companies throughout the state; when that has
been disposed of he can lease or sell the range land to Andre Loustalot
and finally he can retire with the prospect of unceasing dividends from
the profits of his irrigation company. Within two years he will have a
profit of at least two million dollars, net, but this will not be
possible until he has first disposed of me at a total disposing price
of five hundred thousand dollars."

"Please explain that."

"As I think I have remarked in your presence once before, there is
extreme probability that the State of California will have passed
additional anti-Jap legislation, designed to tighten the present law
and eliminate the legal loop-holes whereby alien Japanese continue to
acquire land despite the existing law. If I stand pat no Jap can set
foot in the San Gregorio valley for at least one year from date and by
that time this legislation may be in force, in which event the Jap deal
will be killed forever. Also, there is always the off chance that I
may manage, mysteriously, to redeem the property in the interim. It
would be worth a quarter of a million dollars to your father this
minute if he could insure himself against redemption of the mortgage;
and it would be worth an additional quarter of a million dollars to him
if he were free to do business with Okada to-morrow morning. Okada is
a sure-fire prospect. He will pay cash for the entire valley if I
permit the deal to go through now. If, however, through my
stubbornness, your father loses out with Okada, it will be a year hence
before he can even recommence work on his irrigation system and another
year before he will have