"Fourteen thousand?!" Buller exclaimed. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"I'm s... I say, I'll sorry boys, that bill of fare's too rich to fer me!" he said giving his brow one last mop, and regaining his buoyancy remarkably quickly, shoving his hand out indiscriminately.
"Congratulations, gents, congratulations. HA HA HA! Well, well, well. Beat me fair... I say, beat me fair and square! Lord, Lord, had me on the ropes all right with that last bid, Mister Alders, HA HA HA!!"
Baur looked a little more down in the dumps about it, but was sanguine enough to give the other men a curt nod of acknowledgement of their victory.
"Now, listen boys, show there's no hard feelings, how 'bout I buy us all a nice slap up meal at the that there fancy hotel across the way, treat's on me! After all, Ah got a lot spare cash on me now I ain't gonna buyin' no stage coach line." the Colonel offered in his booming, somewhat Falstaffian, manner.
@[Flip]
@[JulieS]
Elias fought hard not to smile, the old fox was cagey and liable to throw out some wild number to scare off Alders and Aldridge, but then he had congratulated them on a very expensive victory. Three times the original starting bid amount. Old Tuck Milligan was about to become a very rich man as a result. Good for Tuc, and Aldridge, and Alders. ANd whatever money he was owed, if there was any, it was a pittance. He wakl\lked over an shook the Collonels hand.
"No hard feelings Buller?" He asked. Not really caring one way or the other. It was done, the company remaining in Kalispell residents' hands.
Fourteen thousand. Even though it was still a large amount of money to pay for the stageline, Mason was still glad that Buller stopped when he did. He had originally planned to set his maximum bid at $10,000 but now his partnership will Aldridge meant that he would be only paying $7,000 and so in the end it was a good deal.
He got up and looked over at Steelgrave, who was giving his condolences to Buller. There was still a sense of uneasiness about being indebted to Steelgrave but Mason knew it would only be for a short time. Turning to Alders, he nodded, "Well, I guess we should formalise our partnership so that we can take care of things as soon as possible."
@[Bailey]
A town is only as good as the timbers that form its buildings.
Christoph exhaled. The stage line was theirs. He turned to Mason Aldridge to shake hands and said, "I agree, we should talk things through soon. I'd like to speak to Buller and Steelgrave for a minute, then I'm at your disposal to talk through business details."
He made his way over to where Steelgrave was shaking hands with Buller, and offered his own hand to Buller and Baur one after the other. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer of a meal to attend to business matters, sir, but should you ever find yourself back in Kalispell I'd like to be the one to treat you. And yourself, Mr. Baur, if the occasion arises."
He acknowledged Steelgrave with a nod of the head, but decided to have further conversation with their almost-benefactor at a later time when Buller and Baur had left.
@ [Javia]
@ [JulieS]
@ [Flip
Buller seemed as philosophical about nobody wanting to come for a celebratory meal with him at the Hotel as he was about not winning the auction, and he was still the 'life and soul of the party' as he shook hands all round and bade farewell to his erstwhile rivals. Baur looked a little more dour about it all, but smiled a little as he got to the door and ran into Tuc Millegan.
They shook hands.
"Well Tuc, my friend, with that little bundle, you should be able to set yourself up nicely back in Indiana and look after that sister of yours..." He jerked a thumb at the Colonel "... didn't I tell you the Colonel'd get it to ten thousand?"
Buller looked a little abashed, although you never knew with him, he was a consummate actor and could have given the professionals at the White Rose Theatre a run for their money.
"Oh, think, I say, think nothing of it, Mr Millegan, any friend o' Frank's a friend of mine: pleasure to help. And what Frank told me, well... I had a sister once myself, you know..." The cunning old bastard actually looked like he was about to shed a sentimental tear.
Frank patted Tuc on the arm.
"Let's have a drink together before you set off for the Wabash. We'd better go now before those monkeys get suspicious." he said, eying the new business conglomerate.
Buller had one last word for the man as they left.
"Oh, and, er, Mr Millegan, I'd advise against travelling to Indiana by the Stage Line: it's got new owners and I hear they're kinda half-baked! HA HA HA!!" and with his distinctive laugh, he left the building.
[NB The conversation between Baur, Buller and Millegan would not be heard by Steelgrave, Alders and Aldridge]
Oh, the cleverness of me!
The auction had gone far better than Tuc had hoped, but he felt that the company was well worth it, and the wheeling and dealing had certainly helped! Even so, as much as it had sold for, he would miss it, having built it all himself so many years ago.
"Well Tuc, my friend, with that little bundle, you should be able to set yourself up nicely back in Indiana and look after that sister of yours..." He jerked a thumb at the Colonel "... didn't I tell you the Colonel'd get it to ten thousand?"
"You did a great job!" Tuc agreed as he shook Baur's hand. "Fine job, and I appreciate it." Of course, so would Frank, with his percentage of the final price.
"Oh, think, I say, think nothing of it, Mr Millegan, any friend o' Frank's a friend of mine: pleasure to help. And what Frank told me, well... I had a sister once myself, you know..." The cunning old bastard actually looked like he was about to shed a sentimental tear.
"Well, we're close, even though she wants nothing to do with the 'uncivilized' territories." Tuc chuckled. "She took care of me when we were youngsters, so it's the least I can do. Just going to miss all of this."
"Let's have a drink together before you set off for the Wabash. We'd better go now before those monkeys get suspicious." he said, eying the new business conglomerate.
Buller had one last word for the man as they left.
"Oh, and, er, Mr Millegan, I'd advise against travelling to Indiana by the Stage Line: it's got new owners and I hear they're kinda half-baked! HA HA HA!!" and with his distinctive laugh, he left the building.
Tuc laughed, shaking the men's hands. "Unfortunately, I understand it's the only option, short of walking, and I'm too old for that!" He was mostly packed and ready to go, but that would be tomorrow. "I trust you men will be good to the horses...if not, Miss Chappel is liable to have something to say about it! Now, I'd best sign all the papers and collect my money. Good afternoon, gentlemen, and thank you."