“Well boys, looks like we got ourselves a new bidder out there.”� The auctioneer quickly recovered himself and resumed. “That’s two hundred and twenty-five dollars, do I hear two hundred and thirty?”� he said pointedly looking at the bidder in front of Bram. “Two hundred and thirty dollars, anyone?”�

There was expectation in the air and a whiff of fear as the two hundred or so spectators waited, in gleeful anticipation, for the auctioneer’s gavel to fal...