of
yours makes it look as if you were hunting trouble. You bought that
provision company to get a lever on us."

"Maybe so.... Maybe so, but I wouldn't get het up about it.... You see,
it's like this: you folks kind of did what I expected you'd do on that
dam and boom deal, and come pretty close to doin' me out of some
valuable property. I didn't get het up, though, I jest sort of sat
around and waited.... And it come out all right. Now, didn't it?"

"Bullhead luck."

"Maybe so.... Maybe so. Now, here's how I figger things to-day. You and
Keith hain't amiable about that deal, and you don't aim to let my dam
and boom company make any money out of you. I expect you can manage it.
If I was in your shoes, and was the kind of a man I judge you folks be,
I'd fix it so's the dam and boom company couldn't handle the drive. Buy
up the men, maybe, and start fights, and be sort of forced to take
charge so's to get my drive through. And then I'd sue for damages....
That's how I'd do. I calc'late that's about what you and Keith has in
mind, hain't it?"

Crane was purple with rage, but underneath his rage was a clammy layer
of unpleasant surprise that this mound of flabby fat should have had
such uncanny vision into his hardly creditable plans.

"You're crazy, man," he blustered.

"Maybe so.... Maybe so. Anyhow, I took out a mite of insurance ag'in'
sich a happenin'. I got me this here provision company to feed your
men.... Ever happen to think what would happen in the woods if your
lumberjacks run short of grub? Eh?... And suppose it happened, and your
men come bilin' out of camp, sore as bears with bee stings. What then,
eh? Couldn't git another crew this winter, maybe. Eh?"

Crane blustered. He threatened legal measures, but Scattergood pointed
out no legal measures could be taken until he failed to deliver
supplies. Also, he directed Crane's attention to the fact that the
provision company was a corporation, and liable only to the extent of
its assets. "So, even if you got a judgment, you wouldn't collect enough
to make no profit. And your winter's cut would be off, and what logs you
got cut would rot in the woods. I calc'late you'd stand to git damaged
consid'able."

"What's your proposition?" spluttered Crane.

"Hain't got none.... You jest run back to Keith and repeat as much of
this here talk as you can remember. I'm goin' to be busy now.
Afternoon."

For two weeks Scattergood disappeared, and though Crane and K