Seventy-five." "Eighty," said the little man.
"Eighty-five," answered Xavier.
"Ninety," screamed the other.
"Ninety-five," said Xavier.
"A hundred," yelled the small man, snapping his fingers.
"A hundred and five," replied Xavier, triumphantly capping his bid.
Then with a curse his antagonist gave up also, and the mob shouted, thinking that Xavier had won.
"Knock her down, Pereira," said Xavier in his turn, as he surveyed his prize with affected nonchalance.
"Wait a moment," put in Leonard, speaking for the first time.

"I am going to begin now.

A hundred and ten." The multitude shouted again, the contest was growing exciting.

Xavier glared at Leonard and bit his fingers with rage.

He was very near his limit of possible expenditure.
"Now then," cried Pereira, licking his lips for joy, since the price had already run twenty ounces higher than he expected, "Now then, friend Xavier, am I to knock down this beauty to the stranger captain Pierre?
It sounds a lot, but she is cheap at the price, dirt cheap.