— An Irishman. He knew that railroad coming through Flagstone would continue on west. So he looked over all this country out here untiI he found this hunk of desert. Nobody wanted it. But he bought it. Then he tightened his belt, and for years, he waited.
— Waited for what?
— For the railroad to reach this point.
— But how could he be sure the railroad would pass through his property?
— Them steam engines can't roll without water. And the only water for 50 miles west of Flagstone is right here. Under this land.
— He was no fool, our dead friend. He was going to sell this piece of desert for its weight in gold.
— You don't sell the dream of a lifetime. Brett McBain wanted his station. He got the rights to build it.
— How do you know all this?
— I saw a document. It was all in order. Seals, signatures, everything. One thing, though. In very small print, there is a short clause, which says that McBain or his heirs lose all rights if, by the time the railroad reaches this point... the station ain't built yet.
