to his full height of five foot
four. "I'm gonna talk to Burt Holden," he said.

Rusty stood up to his six foot three. "I'll bring him over here, Doc,"
he said. "We're handy to the cue rack here, and Lew and Simmons can keep
them guys he's with off my back."

I stood up and shoved Rusty back down. I'm no taller than he is, but I
outweigh him about twenty pounds. I started working in the woods when we
still felled trees with axes and misery whips--crosscut saws to the
Outsiders. "I'll go get him," I said. "You're still mad about the show,
and you wouldn't be able to get him this far without mussing him up."

"There won't be no trouble," said Doc. "I just want to make him an
offer."

* * * * *

I went over and told Burt that Doc wanted to talk to him. The three guys
with him followed us back to the table.

Burt figured he knew what it was all about, and he just stood over Doc
and looked down on him. "If it's about your timber, Yoris," he said,
"I'll take it, but I can't pay you more than nine dollars now. Lumber's
coming down, and I'm taking a chance even at that." He rocked back and
forth on his heels and looked at Pop as though daring him to say
different.

"I still don't want to sell, Mr. Holden," said Doc. "But I've got better
than three million feet on my place, and I'll _give_ it to you if you
won't put a pulp mill anywhere in the Illinois Valley."

We were all floored at that, but Burt recovered first. He gave a nasty
laugh. "Not interested, Yoris. If you want to sell, look me up."

"Wait!" said Doc. "A pulp mill will take every tree in the Valley. In a
few years--"

"It'll make money, too," said Burt flatly.

"Money ain't everything by a long shot. It won't buy trees and creeks
and rain."

"It'll buy trees to make lumber." Burt was getting mad. "I don't want
any opposition from you, Yoris. I've had enough trouble from people who
try to hold back progress. If you don't like the way we run things here,
you can--hell, you can go back to Mars!"

It seemed to me that it was just about time to start in. I could have
taken Burt easiest, but I knew Rusty would probably swing on him first
and get in my way, so I planned to work on the two guys on Burt's right,
leaving the one on his left for Lew. I didn't want Pop to get tangled up
in it.

I don't generally wait too long after I make up my mind, but then I
noticed Rusty reaching out slowly for a cue stick, and I thought may