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"If I have to, yes!"
"We won't be on over a hundred acres, and we'll get them through as fast as we can." Marty argued.
"What choice do we have?" Lance asked Marty and Joe as they stepped out on the porch to consider his words.
"Go around?" Joe suggested.
"Yeah, losing more time. And you were worried about time the other day, as I recall." Lance informed him.
"That's too much money Lance. Even split three ways it's too much money."
"If we don't get through, we won't get our projected price." Lance reminded them. "And like I told you before, I found a buyer that we can trust to pay us the going price."
When the three of them couldn't agree Lance offered one last ditch effort. "Let's jack him down on the price."
"You think he'll lower it, just because you want him to?"
"No, but I got a little idea working."
"Okay, we don't have much choice."
They went back inside the ranch house and the rancher was standing there with his hands on hi
s hips. "Well, did you decide?"
"We'll give you three thousand, that's all."
"Then you won't move them over my land."
"Look, you either take the money or we'll go across your land anyway. You know what you are doing isn't right. You had to have known you bought land on the Chisholm Trail, that cattle would be coming your way every year. Well, this is the last year, as the railheads are coming our way and we won't be coming through here again."
The man scratched his chin. "I knew about the herds coming, this is true. But it's still my land. But since there are herds behind you, I'll take that three thousand in cash if you don't mind."
"Cash, I'll have to go into the nearest town and get a bank draft, I don't carry that much cash going up a trial."
The man studied their problem. "What's your names?"
Lance told him.
"What ranches are you with?"
Lance told him that too.
"How often you been up this trail?"
"Most of us fifteen years." Lance answered.
The rancher firmed his lips. "Tell you what I'll do. I'll let you through, but I'll hold you to this price when you come back, I'll expect Cash payment."
"That's generous of you sir."
The man wrote the names and ranches down and estimated the time they'd be back through. "If you don't pay up, I'll find you and collect it."
Lance studied the man. "A man's word is still worth something, sir."
"Alright, I'll expect you back here next month then, you should be able to get there and get paid by then."
"Fair enough."
