He laughed out at the men before him and waved his hands in delight . Pa Sloane thought he had never seen so pretty a baby . `` Here 's a baby for sale , '' shouted the auctioneer . `` A genuine article , pretty near as good as brand-new . A real live baby , warranted to walk and talk a little . Who bids ? A dollar ? Did I hear anyone mean enough to bid a dollar ? No , sir , babies do n't come as cheap as that , especially the curly-headed brand . '' The crowd laughed again . Pa Sloane , by way of keeping on the joke , cried , `` Four dollars ! '' Everybody looked at him . The impression flashed through the crowd that Pa was in earnest , and meant thus to signify his intention of giving the baby a home . He was well-to-do , and his only son was grown up and married . `` Six , '' cried out John Clarke from the other side of the yard . John Clarke lived at White Sands and he and his wife were childless . That bid of John Clarke 's was Pa 's undoing . Pa Sloane could not have an enemy ; but a rival he had , and that rival was John Clarke . Everywhere at auctions John Clarke was wont to bid against Pa. . At the last auction he had outbid Pa in everything , not having the fear of his wife before his eyes .
Pa 's fighting blood was up in a moment ; he forgot Ma Sloane ; he forgot what he was bidding XXXXX ; he forgot everything except a determination that John Clarke should not be victor again .
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