The Challenge of the North | Page 9

note the attitude, and hastened to dispel
it. "In the first place, Mr. Orcutt, I am going to ask you to cash a check
for three thousand dollars, but----"
"Three thousand!" exclaimed Orcutt, his eyes narrowing. "Whose
check is it?"
"John McNabb's."
"John McNabb's!" A look of suspicion flashed into his eyes.
"Yes--isn't it good?"
"Good! Hell--yes, of course it's good! But what are you doing with
McNabb's check for three thousand?"
Reaching into his pocket, Wentworth drew out the packet of papers and
held it in his hand. "Eight or ten years ago McNabb bought options on a
half million acres of pulp-wood lying between two certain rivers. He
sent for me--said he heard I was out of a job, and that as he was the one
that was responsible for my losing out, it was only fair that he should
offer me another. Then he went on to outline the whole proposition,
told me the options expired on August first; then he was called out of
the office for a minute and asked me to look over the maps and papers
and let him know if I wanted to tackle it or not.
"In going over the contract, I found that the options expire on July first,
instead of August first, as he said. It was then I called you up, for the
whole scheme hit me like a flash. Don't you see it? If I worked for him,
I'd draw a salary, and a good one--and nothing more. But if I should
interest sufficient capital to step in on the first day of July when those
options expire, and buy up the whole tract, where would McNabb be?"
Orcutt tapped thoughtfully upon his desk pad with the tip of his pencil.
"I wonder," he muttered aloud, more to himself than to Wentworth, "I
wonder if John has made a slip at last?"

"That is just what he has done! And he is so cocksure of his ground that
he didn't even glance at the papers to refresh his memory--I doubt if he
has looked at them since he made the deal."
The banker eyed the younger man shrewdly. "And in case I should
interest myself in the proposition to the extent of organizing the capital
to swing the deal, what would you expect out of it?"
"A share in the business, and a salary of ten thousand a year."
"You don't want much!" exclaimed Orcutt.
"Not any more than you could well afford to give me. You don't realize
what a big thing this is--it's going to take a lot of capital to swing it."
"About how much?"
"You'll have to get your figures on the paper mill from someone that
knows more about it than I do. The pulp-wood will cost, I imagine,
somewhere between six and ten dollars an acre. McNabb's options call
for purchase at five dollars, and he told me he could not renew at that
figure. But even at ten dollars, there is a mint in it. You will have to
pay down ten percent of the purchase price in cash."
Orcutt whistled. "Ten percent of the purchase price, at say, ten dollars,
would be half a million. Besides the cost of the mill and the interest on
four million and a half!"
"It is a big proposition," agreed Wentworth. "If it is too big for you to
handle, I can find someone who will. I have a friend in Detroit whose
father will jump at the chance. It isn't too big for McNabb."
"Who said anything about it being too big?" snapped Orcutt. "If
McNabb could find the money, I can. But, mind you, I'm not going to
spend a damned cent on the proposition until after McNabb's options
have expired and we've got our hands on the pulp-wood. Mind you;
you don't draw any advance money."

"Not a cent," agreed Wentworth. "But you'd better have the money
right on hand on the first day of July; those options expire at noon, and
we don't want any delay about getting hold of the property. And, by the
way, I want a written contract--make my share a ten percent interest in
the business."
After some demurring on the part of Orcutt, he called a stenographer
and drew a contract, which he duly signed and handed to Wentworth,
who thrust it into his pocket with the packet of papers.
"Let's see those papers of McNabb's," said Orcutt.
Wentworth smiled. "That is hardly necessary, do you think? I will
vouch for the date--and the location need not concern you at present.
All you need to know is that at noon on the first day of July, you, or
your legal representative, must be at the Gods Lake post of the
Hudson's Bay Company, with a half