district, he would have found
operations going on for miles up and down stream. The colored squares
would prove to be nothing but so many excuses for being on the ground.
The bulk of the pine of any season's cut he would discover had been
stolen from unbought State or Government land.

This in the old days was a common enough trick. One man, at present a
wealthy and respected citizen, cut for six years, and owned just one
forty-acres! Another logged nearly fifty million feet from an eighty! In
the State to-day live prominent business men, looked upon as models in
every way, good fellows, good citizens, with sons and daughters proud
of their social position, who, nevertheless, made the bulk of their
fortunes by stealing Government pine.

"What you want to-day, old man?" inquired a wholesale lumber dealer of
an individual whose name now stands for domestic and civic virtue.

"I'll have five or six million saw logs to sell you in the spring, and I
want to know what you'll give for them."

"Go on!" expostulated the dealer with a laugh, "ain't you got that forty
all cut yet?"

"She holds out pretty well," replied the other with a grin.

An official, called the Inspector, is supposed to report such stealings,
after which another official is to prosecute. Aside from the fact that
the danger of discovery is practically zero in so wild and distant a
country, it is fairly well established that the old-time logger found
these two individuals susceptible to the gentle art of "sugaring."
The officials, as well as the lumberman, became rich. If worst came
to worst, and investigation seemed imminent, the operator could still
purchase the land at legal rates, and so escape trouble. But the
intention to appropriate was there, and, to confess the truth, the
whitewashing by purchase needed but rarely to be employed. I have time
and again heard landlookers assert that the old Land Offices were rarely
"on the square," but as to that I cannot, of course, venture an opinion.

Thorpe was perfectly conversant with this state of affairs. He knew,
also, that in all probability many of the colored districts on his map
represented firms engaged in steals of greater or less magnitude. He was
further aware that most of the concerns stole the timber because it was
cheaper to steal than to buy; but that they would buy readily enough
if forced to do so in order to prevent its acquisition by another. This
other might be himself. In his exploration