Twice Bought, by R.M. Ballantyne

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Title: Twice Bought

Author: R.M. Ballantyne

Release Date: June 6, 2007 [EBook #21706]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWICE BOUGHT ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

TWICE BOUGHT, BY R.M. BALLANTYNE.

CHAPTER ONE.

"`Honesty is the best policy,' Tom, you may depend on it," said a youth to his companion, one afternoon, as they walked along the margin of one of those brawling rivulets which, born amid the snows of the Rocky Mountain peaks, run a wild and plunging course of many miles before finding comparative rest in the celebrated goldfields of Oregon.

"I don't agree with you, Fred," said Tom, sternly; "and I don't believe in the proverb you have quoted. The world's maxims are not all gospel."

"You are right, Tom; many of them are false; nevertheless, some are founded on gospel truth."

"It matters not," returned Tom, angrily. "I have made up my mind to get back from that big thief Gashford what he has stolen from me, for it is certain that he cheated at play, though I could not prove it at the time. It is impossible to get it back by fair means, and I hold it quite allowable to steal from a thief, especially when that which

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