The horse-dealer, opening his cigar case, offered one to the herdsman.
Sandor Decsi took it, struck a match, lit up, and puffed away.
The four raw colts were distributed round the purchaser"s carriage; two behind, one beside the near, and the fourth beside the off horse.
"Well, my friend, you"re a great, strong fellow!" observed Mr. Pelikan, lighting himself a cigar from Sandor"s.
"Yes! If he had not been ill!" grumbled the overseer.
"I wasn"t ill!" bragged the herdsman, and tossed back his head contemptuously.
"What on earth, were you then? When a man lies three days in the Mata Hospital----"
"How can a man lie in the Mata Hospital? It is only for horses!"
"What were you doing then?"
"_Drunk!_" said Sandor Decsi. "As a man has a right to be!"
The old man twisted his moustache, and muttered, half-pleased, half-vexed, "There, you see these "betyars"! Not for all the world would they confess anything had ailed them."
Then the time for payment came round.
They settled the price of the four young horses at eight hundred florins.
Mr. Pelikan took from his inner pocket a square folded piece of crocodile leather, this was his purse, and selected a paper from the pile it contained. There was not a single bank-note, only bills, filled in and blank.
"I never carry money about me," said the horse-dealer, "only these. They can steal these if they like, the thieves would only lose by it."
"Which I will accept," said Mr. Kadar in his turn. "Mr. Pelikan"s signature is as good as ready-money."
Pelikan had brought writing materials, a portable inkstand in his trouser pocket, and a quill pen in his top-boot.
"We"ll soon have a writing-table, too," he remarked, "if you will kindly bring us your horse here, herdsman."
The saddle of Decsi"s horse came in very handy as a table on which to fill in the bill. The herdsman watched with the greatest interest.
And not alone the herdsman, but the horses also. Those same wild colts which had been scared four times and from whose midst four of their comrades had just been la.s.soed, crowded round like inquisitive children, and without the slightest fear. (It is true Mr. Mihaly Kadar was bribing them with Debreczin rolls.) One dapple bay actually laid its head on the dealer"s shoulder and looked on in wonder. None of them had ever seen a bill filled in before.
It is probable that Sandor Decsi expressed the silent thought of each, when he inquired, "Why do you write 812 florins 18 kreuzers, sir, when the price was settled at eight hundred florins?"
"Well, herdsman, the reason is that I must pay the sum in ready-money.
Worthy Mr. Kadar here will write his name on the back, and then the bill will be "endorsed." To-morrow morning he will take it to the Savings Bank, where they will pay out eight hundred florins, but deduct twelve florins--eighteen kreuzers--as discount, and, therefore, I don"t require to pay the money for three months."
"And if you do not repay it, sir?"
"Why, then, they will take it out of Mr. Kadar. That is why they give me credit."
"I see. So that is the good of a bill of exchange?"
"Did you never see a bill before?" asked Mr. Pelikan.
Sandor Decsi laughed loud, till his row of fine white teeth flashed.
"A csikos, and a bill!"
"Well, your worthy friend, Mr. Ferko Lacza is quite another gentleman, and he is only a cowherd. He knows what a bill means. I have just such a long paper of his, if you would like to see it."
He searched among his doc.u.ments, and holding one before the csikos, finally handed him the paper. The bill amounted to ten florins.
"Does Mr. Pelikan know the cowboy?" asked the astonished csikos.
"As far as I know, you do not deal with cattle, sir."
"It is not I, but my wife who has that honour. You see she carries on a little goldsmith business on her own account. I don"t meddle in it at all. About two months ago, in comes Mr. Ferko Lacza with a pair of ear-rings, which he wants gilded, very heavily gilded too!"
Sandor started at that, as if a wasp had stung him.
"Silver ear-rings?"
"Yes, very pretty silver, filagree ear-rings, and the gilding came to ten florins. When done, off he went with them--they were certainly not for his own use--and as he had no money he left this bill behind him. On Demeter day he is to meet it."
"This bill?"
Sandor Decsi stared blankly at the paper, and his nostrils quivered. He might have been laughing from the grin on his face, only the writing shook in his two hands. He did not let go of it, but grasped it tightly.
"As the bill appears to please you so well, I will give it you as a tip," said Mr. Pelikan, in a sudden fit of generosity.
"But ten florins, sir, that is a great deal!"
"Of course, it is a great deal for you, and I am no such duffer as to chuck away ten florins every time I buy a horse. But to tell the truth, I should be glad to get rid of the bill under such good auspices, like the shoemaker and his vineyard in the story----"
"Is there something false in it, then?"
"No, nothing false, only too much truth in fact. See, I will explain it to you, please look here. On this line stands "Mr. Ferencz Lacza," then comes "residence," and after that "payable in." Now, in both places "Debreczin" should be written, but that idiotic wife of mine put "Hortobagy" instead--which is true enough--for Mr. Ferko Lacza does live on the Hortobagy. Had she written, "Hortobagy inn" even, I should have known where to find him, but how can I go roaming about the Hortobagy, and the Zam puszta, searching the "karams" of goodness knows how many herds, and risking my calves among the watch-dogs? I have fought with the woman quite enough about it. Now, at least, I can say I have handed it over at cent. per cent. interest, and we will have no more rows. So accept it, herdsman. You will know how to get the ten florins out of the cowboy, for you fear neither himself nor his dog."
"Thank you, sir, thank you very, very much."
The csikos folded up the paper and stowed it away in his jacket pocket.
"The young man seems deeply grateful for the ten florin tip," whispered Mr. Kadar to the overseer. "Generosity brings its own reward."
Mr. Mihaly Kadar was a great newspaper reader, and took the _Sunday News_ and the _Political Messenger_; hence his lofty style of speech.
"That hasn"t much to do with his gladness," growled the overseer. "He knows well enough that Ferko Lacza went off to Moravia last Friday; small chance of seeing him or his blessed ten florins again! But he is glad to be clear about the ear-rings, for there is a girl in that business."
Mr. Kadar raised the bird"s-head top of his cane to his lips significantly.
"Aha!" he murmured, "that entirely alters the case!"