f violence. He had attained his
object, which was to fluster the other out of his judicial calm.

"I have Radway's power of attorney," he added.

Daly sat down, controlled himself with an effort, and growled out, "Why
didn't you say so?"

"Now I would like to know your position," went on Thorpe. "I am not here
to make trouble, but as an associate of Mr. Radway, I have a right
to understand the case. Of course I have his side of the story," he
suggested, as though convinced that a detailing of the other side might
change his views.

Daly considered carefully, fixing his flint-blue eyes unswervingly on
Thorpe's face. Evidently his scrutiny advised him that the young man was
a force to be reckoned with.

"It's like this," said he abruptly, "we contracted last fall with this
man Radway to put in five million feet of our timber, delivered to
the main drive at the mouth of the Cass Branch. In this he was to act
independently except as to the matter of provisions. Those he drew from
our van, and was debited with the amount of the same. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly," replied Thorpe.

"In return we were to pay him, merchantable scale, four dollars a
thousand. If, however, he failed to put in the whole job, the contract
was void."

"That's how I understand it," commented Thorpe. "Well?"

"Well, he didn't get in the five million. There's a million and a half
hung up in the woods."

"But you have in your hands three million and a half, which under the
present arrangement you get free of any charge whatever."

"And we ought to get it," cried Daly. "Great guns! Here we intend to saw
this summer and quit. We want to get in every stick of timber we own so
as to be able to clear out of here for good and all at the close of the
season; and now this condigned jobber ties us up for a million and a
half."

"It is exceedingly annoying," conceded Thorpe, "and it is a good deal of
Radway's fault, I am willing to admit, but it's your fault too."

"To be sure," replied Daly with the accent of sarcasm.

"You had no business entering into any such contract. It gave him no
show."

"I suppose that was mainly his lookout, wasn't it? And as I already told
you, we had to protect ourselves."

"You should have demanded security for the completion of the work. Under
your present agreement, if Radway got in the timber, you were to pay him
a fair price. If he didn't, you appropriated everything he had already
done. In other words, you ma