Final answer:
The amount of money Mr. Budd received as a reward is not stated in the provided excerpts. These texts broadly touch on the theme of rewards in literature, where characters are influenced by the potential or actual receipt of large sums of money.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific amount of reward money that Mr. Budd received is not provided in the excerpts given. However, we can discuss the concept of rewards in literature and how they are often used as plot devices. The excerpts include various instances where rewards or large sums of money are mentioned or given for certain actions or items, ranging from thousands to millions of dollars. For instance, a large reward for a letter, a winning lottery amount of five thousand dollars, a gentleman who had fifteen million dollars deposited to his account, and a lecture bureau's offer of fifty thousand dollars for speaking engagements.
Although the amounts mentioned in the excerpts vary significantly, they share the common theme of individuals reacting to the possibility or reality of receiving large sums of money. These scenarios create tension and motivation within the stories, influencing characters' decisions and the progression of the plot.