he had permission to speak for all. "Mr. Whittaker," he said, with
hearty frankness, "on behalf of myself and my associates I am going to
make an earnest apology to you for the obstacles we threw in your way
at the outset of this enterprise. But you must take into account the
isolation of our lumbering interests and the jealousy we felt at the
intrusion of outside men and capital. We feared what it might lead
to. We have been doing business as our fathers did it, and we probably
needed this awakening that the new railroad has given us. For now that
it is built, we, as business men, see that the advantages it will afford
us are desirable in every way. I speak for my friends here when I say
that we are heartily glad you have beaten us."

His tone was jocose yet sincere.

The men of business--railroad officials and lumber kings--broke out into
a hearty laugh, the laugh of amity and comradeship. Shayne went on, more
at his ease after that:

"Now we are going to afford you a proof that we mean what we say.
We--this party right here--control fifty miles or more of timber
country, reaching from here up to the West Branch on both sides, and
extending as far inland. The river is broken by rapids and falls along
this stretch. Our drives from up-country are sometimes held up a whole
season when a bad jam forms in dry times. Every year in dynamiting these
jams thousands of feet of logs are shattered. More are split on the
ledges. We have agreed that we need a railroad. Considering our losses,
we can afford to pay well for having our logs hauled to the smooth
water. If you and your friends will finance and build such a road, we'll
give you free right of way, turn over to you annually twenty million
feet of timber for your log trains, and give you the haul of all our
crews and camp supplies. Further than that, with spur tracks to lots now
inaccessible by water, you can quadruple the value of our holdings and
your own business at the same time. And this will be only the first link
of a railroad system that we need all through the region. The thing
has come to us in its right light at last, and we're ready to meet
you half-way in everything." He smiled. "We want the right sort of men
behind the scheme, and you have plainly showed us that you _are_ the
right sort of men."

President Whittaker thought a little.

"Gentlemen," he said, at last, "I cannot give you a conclusive answer
to-day, of course, but I can guarantee that no such