He was soon reading the letter with deep interest, and after he had finished he read it a second time. Not to appear curious, Dale spent the time in looking over an illustrated paper one of the hands had loaned him. The letter finished, Owen looked around cautiously, thrust the communication in his pocket, and leaned over Dale.
"It's from Mr. Wilbur, and very important. I'll tell you about it when the others are gone."
It was half an hour later when the two young lumbermen found themselves alone. Then Owen sat down close to Dale.
"Mr. Wilbur writes a very odd letter," he said. "It is meant for you quite as much as for me, for he mentions both of us. He marked it Personal so that no outsider might get it. I'll read it to you."
And then Owen read the following:
"I received the letter from yourself and from Dale Bradford, also the copy of the documents, and have turned the latter over to my lawyer for investigation. Tell Bradford the lawyer knows Oregon ground very well, and will, no doubt, make a trustworthy report.
"Now I am going to ask you to do me a personal favor, and do it without letting anybody but yourself and Bradford know. I want you to watch, as far as you are able, the work done in the various yards of our property, and let me know if, in your judgment, as much lumber is shipped to the Columbia as the force of men can handle, and also if the entire force is now getting out timber, or spending time on the railroad or the flume. Also let me know, if you can, if a party by the name of John Hildan, generally called Foxy Hildan, has visited the property lately. He is a dark-faced man, with a heavy beard. Do not mention Hildan to Mr. Balasco, or ask Mr. Balasco about the shipments."
"That is certainly a queer letter," remarked Dale. "Evidently Mr. Wilbur is inclined to think that everything isn't going right around here."
"I've heard that name of Hildan before, but I can't place it, can you?"
"No. If he is called Foxy, he can't bear a very good reputation."