chaffed Scott without pity, and fairly forced him to complete the bargain at the new price.
"You won't regret it, Mr. Scott," consoled the owner. "I'll predict you can sell it to-morrow at an advance, if you want to."
Boyd spent three more days in Los Angeles, then returned to Arguello, his head full of thoughts. The Banksia Heights scheme he discovered to be only one of many: and all going strong. In fact the Banksia proposition, as one of the youngest, could hardly be said to be fairly started. The suburban land was almost entirely in the hands of outsiders, who were exploiting it. The original owners had sold out gladly at what they had considered excessive prices. They had held so long that they were about ready to quit in disgust; and they could not take the money quick enough, nor get away fast enough after they had taken it, lest the "tenderfoot" change his mind. The said tenderfoot then proceeded to make a thousand or so per cent. In due time the original holder grew restless and desirous of getting in on a little of this easy money. No reason why he should be out in the cold! So he bought back—sometimes the very land he had sold—for ten, yes, twenty times what he had received for it. And was left with it when the boom broke!
But that was a later development. Now everybody was prosperous because prices were steadily going up, and cash sales were the order of the day. Therefore everybody made money, and had the gold to jingle. Farmers were abandoning their crops to live in town and gamble on real estate. Why not? It was no unusual thing to make a profit between nine o'clock and dinner time. Very little work was being done anywhere. Why work, when you could make a month's wages in an hour, if you just looked sharp? But you could not do it unless you were on the spot. New sales were attended as women go to bargain counters. One trick was to sell half an addition, and then to close the sale; reserving the balance until such time as the outside trading should have raised the public temperature. At the reopening it would be announced that the first ten lots would be sold for, say, $750, after which the flat price would be $1,000. Buy now and make $250. Long lines were formed awaiting the openings of these resales. Places near the head of
