eat a man alive!"

"It isn't so bad when you get used to it," laughed Wentworth, and
turned toward the man who had risen from his chair. "Mr. Orcutt, this
is Mr. Cameron, representative of the Canadian Wild Lands Company."

"Wild lands is right," grinned Orcutt as he acknowledged the other's
greeting. "I never saw so much timber or so many insects in my life.
And now," he continued, meeting Cameron's eyes, "I'm a busy man, and
the sooner I get out of this God-forsaken country, the better I'll like
it. Why can't we go ahead and get the business over with?"

"You forget, Mr. Orcutt, that the McNabb options do not expire until
noon to-morrow," Cameron answered.

Orcutt nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, I suppose we've got to wait.
But as far as that goes, I don't think we've got to worry any. I
always make it my business to keep an eye on the other fellow, and I
know to certainty that John McNabb will not be here. As a matter of
fact, he has mistaken the day his options expire. He believes he has
until the first of August."

Cameron whistled. "Are you sure?" he asked incredulously. "I don't
know him personally, but his reputation for shrewdness----"

"And ninety-nine times out of a hundred he's as shrewd as his
reputation calls for," interrupted Orcutt, "but this is the hundredth
time! He is so dead sure he is right that I don't suppose he has
examined his papers in years. John McNabb makes damned few
mistakes--I've been more than twenty years waiting for him to make this
one. And now, by God, I've got him! What do you hold the timber at?"

"Seven dollars an acre."

"Make it six, and I'll take it. It ought to be worth something not to
have to hunt up a buyer."

"It is," answered Cameron. "But seven dollars is the price. In a
month--two months it will be eight."

"About two percent down?"

"Ten."

"Ten percent!" raved Orcutt. "Three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars! Do you think a man takes a jaunt into the woods with any such
amount of money as that in his possession?"

"I think you did. If not, then as you people say in the States, you
are out of luck."

"I'll buy an option on it."

Cameron shook his head. "No, the time has come for a sale. We can't
afford to hold timber ourselves, and as to finding purchasers, I know a
dozen men who would snap it up at seven dollars."

"All right," growled Orcutt. "Make out your papers and I'll sign 'em.
At least, we can get the routine business