Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/153

 were doomed to a ruin more complete and terrible than the four years of war had brought. Independence had been saved by a skillful movement of General Worth, who sought an interview with Legree when his council first issued their levy of thirty per cent for municipal purposes.

"Mr. Legree, let's understand one another," said the General.

"All right, I'm a man of reason."

"A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!"

"Every time, General."

"Well, call off your dogs, and rescind your order for a thirty per cent tax levy, and I'll raise $30,000 in cash and pay it to you in two days."

"Make it $50,000 and it's a bargain."

"Agreed."

The General raised twenty thousand in the city, went North and borrowed the remaining thirty thousand.

Legree and his brigands received this ransom and moved on to the next town.

Poor Hambright was but a scrawny little village on a red hill with no big values to be saved, and no mills to interest the commercial world, and the auctioneer lifted his hammer.