"As Westmore says, the contract ends two weeks and a half from to-day," said Owen. "That gives us exactly fifteen days in which to get out the balance of that timber. How many sticks still to cut, Westmore?"
"According to this paper about two hundred," answered the old lumberman. "That is, if you're going to send down all the flume stuff first."
"To be sure—everything must go that isn't sawed up."
"According to this document this company isn't a regular company at all," said Dale, who had been reading with care. "It speaks of Ulmer Balasco and of Jefferson Wilbur as if they were separate dealers working together. But the forfeit was put up by Jefferson Wilbur. I don't quite understand it."
"I think I know something about that," put in Westmore. "You see, before Balasco and Wilbur joined forces the land up near the flume and at Yards 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 belonged to Wilbur. The land down here, along the creek and at Yards 1, 2, 3, and 4 belonged to somebody else. Balasco bought them, and cut Wilbur off from both the creek and the river. Then they compromised and patched up some sort of a partnership, by which Balasco was to run things out here and get a percentage from Wilbur on all lumber that went down the creek or the railroad. You see the creek didn't quite reach Wilbur's claim, so he couldn't use it without Balasco's permission."
"But the Wilbur claim is by far the best," said Dale. "This land down here is mighty rocky, and the timber is all second-class."
"That's right. Years ago the lumbermen wouldn't touch this timber at all. Some prospectors thought they'd find gold or silver here, or some other metals, but what they got wasn't worth trying for. I reckon Balasco got this land for a song."