ner, dear boy, haven't we got about half a
million feet of skunk spruce to saw off on somebody?" Mr. Skinner nodded
and Cappy continued with all the naive eagerness of one who has just
made a marvelous discovery, which he is confident will revolutionize
science. "Give him that stinking stuff to peddle, Skinner, and if you
can dig up a couple of dozen carloads of red fir or bull pine in
transit, or some short or odd-length stock, or some larch ceiling or
flooring, or some hemlock random stock--in fact, anything the trade
doesn't want as a gift--you get me, don't you, Skinner?"

Mr. Skinner smiled his swordfish smile. "And if he fails to make
good--_au revoir_, eh?"

"Yes, I suppose so, although I hate to think about it. On the other
hand, if he makes good he's to have Andrews' salary. We must be fair,
Skinner. Whatever our faults we must always be fair." He rose and patted
the general manager's lean shoulder. "There, there, Skinner, my boy.
Forgive me if I've been a trifle--ah--ahem!--precipitate
and--er--harumph-h-h! Skinner, if you put a prohibitive price on that
skunk fir, by the Holy Pink-toed Prophet, I'll fire you! Be fair, boy,
be fair. No dirty work, Skinner. Remember, Comrade Peck has half of his
left forearm buried in France."

* * * * *

III

At twelve-thirty, as Cappy was hurrying up California Street to luncheon
at the Commercial Club, he met Bill Peck limping down the sidewalk. The
ex-soldier stopped him and handed him a card.

"What do you think of that, sir?" he queried. "Isn't it a neat business
card?"

Cappy read:

+---------------------------------------------------+
| RICKS LUMBER & LOGGING COMPANY |
| Lumber and its products |
| 248 California St. |
| San Francisco. |
| |
| Represented by |
| William E. Peck |
| If you can drive nails in it--we have it! |
+---------------------------------------------------+

Cappy Ricks ran a speculative thumb over Comrade Peck's business card.
It was engraved. And copper plates or steel dies are not made in half an
hour!

"By the Twelve Ragged Apostles!" This was Cappy's most terrible oath and
he never employed it unless rocked to his very foundations.