The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1897-04-09

a4l claim nave GHL east
Afr. Scragr3' c0uutenance fell. and he
looked down rather sheepishly. For.
once IN his life he had made mistake.
and by his precipitancy had got himself
into q trap. Bat ne was not the sort of
nan TO allow himself to be cast down,
aEdrcalizi2g that the best way out of the
difficulty was 70 put a bold face on il,
he quickly rallied and looking up with
. hearty an.A saii:
"Wcn, vie re all in a bad boat here
togcthe., ug friend, ard we understand
each other, 50 there no harm done. A
man can't afford 20 be too particular
about his assertions in this country.
yoD know. lla, ha. You were rather
surprised that anything like that
corn should crow here, and / don't
wonder Gt il. That was Shipped In
from back east. But about that loan.
How was that?'
II soc You advertise eastern money to-
loan, and / wanted to borrow two or
three hundred dollars On nay farm"
You have just one claim?"
ayes, one hundred and sixty acres"
And how much did you want on it?"'
"Three hundred dollars will do"
"Threc hundred. IIumph. I'm afraid
its a little more than | could advance
my friend"
''Why, it's less than two dollars per
acre, Mr., Scroggs."
Eyes, | know; but you see this land
is not very valuable at present, and the
chances are that it viii get to be worth
less. Lands that don't produce any
thing won't sell. You know that"
II thought fifteen dollars an acre was
cheap, and that next year the price
would be twenty or twenty-five" John
was not in any good humor, but the
chance to poke the agent this once was
too good to be lost.
'Stuf! stuff" Scraggs replied. "You
know what that sort of talk is worth
III let You have two hundred on the
land, but I can't goa cent more"
John held off for more, but finding
that Scraggs was firm he finally ac-
eepted the offer. Scraggs got out his
papers and began making out the notes
and mortgage
Hold on a minute" said John. "Let
as know something about the terms
see you advertised them as easy"
''Yes, long time and easy terms,
Scraggs repeated,
"Wel," said John, 'what are they?"
'Syhy, as to time, you can have three
to five years. We don't loan on less
than three years"
"And I've got to pay interest on
the money that long whether l need it.
SO long or Eot?'
"Ycs, that's our rule. =" N-'A'
"And as to terms?"
"Well, we make that easy, l assure
you, Only nine per cent"
That's not bad"
"Fhen there's a little matter of com
missions, you know, to be added in.
Let's sec; it viii amount to about four
per cent, l reckon making eighteen
dollars for interest and eight dollars per
year for commissions-twe dol
lars in all Then you give us your note
lor two hundred and we pay you one
hundred and fifty"
zone hundred and fifty?" John re-
peated. "What becomes of the other
ffty?"
THAT is kept back as premium"
Great God man, do you want me to
take one hundred and fifty dollars and
pay you seventy-eight dollars for the
use Of it three years, aud then at the
end Of three years pay you two hun
dred? Is that what you mean?"
eyes, if you wish to put it in that
way"
"And you call that easy terms?"
"Can you get any that are easier?''
Scraggs answered, with provoking
calmness.
Green made no reply but sank back
in his chair perfectly dumfounded,
and sat there staring at the agent in
blank wonder. Scraggs waited some
time, then turning about said, care
lessly:
''Do you want the loan?'
mo, | don't want to be robbed, ,"
Green replied "and you offer to do
nothing else"
Scragcs drew out the drawer and be-
gan replacing the papers in his desk.
"It don't matter to me-" he said
"whcther you accept the accommoda
tion or not. There's plenty of calls 70
the money, so we are none the wors'
off if you don't take it.
"Accomnaodation, Green repeated
is that what you call it?"
Eyes"
Il have heard robbery called a good
many things in my time, but l never
heard It called that before"
Scrargs smiled complacently as he
finished placing the papers and closed
and locked the drawer. lie was in the
position of a man having all the ad-
vantaces. for he had the only money
there was to loan in all that section
and he knew the people were com
pelled to have it. and, let them grumble
and talk as they would, they must
SOONER >r later come to his terms
and accept them as favor So
| be could afford to smile with the
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