court, he'll be subject to the same charge; for, if you remember,
he paid the money."

"Will he!" shouted Welton. "You don't know the lowlived skunk! Erbe told
me that if this suit was brought and you testified in the matter, that
Baker would turn state's evidence against me! That would let him off
scot-free."

"What!" said Bob incredulously. "Brand himself publicly as a criminal
and tell-tale just to get you into trouble! Not likely. Think what that
would mean to a man in his position! It would be every bit as bad as
though he were to take his jail sentence. He's bluffing again."

"Do you really think so?" asked Welton, a gleam of relief lightening
the gloom of his red, good-natured face. "I'll agree to handle the worst
river crew you can hand out to me; but this law business gets me running
in circles."

"It does all of us," said Bob with a sigh.

"I concluded from Erbe's coming up here that you had decided to tell
about what you knew. That ain't so, is it?"

"I don't know; I can't see my duty clearly yet."

"For heaven's sake, Bobby, what's it to you!" demanded Welton
exasperated.

But Bob did not hear him.

"I think the direct way is the best," he remarked, by way of thinking
aloud. "I'm going to keep on going to headquarters. I'm going to write
father and put it straight to him how he did get those lands and tell
him the whole situation; and I'm going down to interview Baker, and
discover, if I can, just how much of a bluff he is putting up."

"In the meantime----" said Welton apparently not noting the fact that
Bob had become aware of the senior Orde's connection with the land.

"In the meantime I'm going to postpone action if I can."

"They're summoning witnesses for the Basin trial."

"I'll do the best I can," concluded Bob.

Accordingly he wrote the next day to his father. In this letter he
stated frankly the situation as far as it affected the Wolverine lands,
but said nothing about the threatened criminal charges against Welton.
That was another matter. He set out the great value of the Basin lands
and the methods by which they had been acquired. He pointed out his
duty, both as a forest officer and as a citizen, but balanced this by
the private considerations that had developed from the situation.

This dispatched, he applied for leave.

"This is the busy season, and we can spare no one," said Thorne. "You
have important matters on hand."

"This is especially important," urged Bob.

"I