"Yes, you were. I was to be forced out, and then you and Hildan were going to run things to suit yourselves."
"So you think you are going to drag me into this," put in Foxy Hildan. "Well, let me say, I won't stand for it."
"But you will," said Jefferson Wilbur sternly. "Do you know what happened in Detroit yesterday? Radley Force was caught manipulating the books and he made a confession concerning both himself and you. In a few day the plain truth will be in the mouths of all, and lumbermen generally will know exactly what sort of a man Foxy Hildan is. Hildan, I was a fool to trust you and Balasco, but my eyes are open at last," added Jefferson Wilbur earnestly.
"See here, I won't stand for this sort of talk!" came blusteringly from Ulmer Balasco. "Now you are here, I'll tell you what I propose to do. Just as soon as this railroad contract is at an end, I shall withdraw from our limited partnership, and then you can market your own lumber."
"Well, I imagine I can do that too," answered Jefferson Wilbur, and a strange smile shone on his face.
"Can you? Well, we'll see. You'll have to go a long way around to get to the river, or the railroad either."
"Not at all—that is, if I can make the necessary arrangement with Dale Bradford here—and I think I can."
"An arrangement with me?" queried Dale, in bewilderment. "What do you mean, Mr. Wilbur?"
"I mean this: this lumber tract is really divided into two parts. The upper part, that away from the creek, belongs to me outright. This part down here I always supposed belonged to Ulmer Balasco, for he said he had purchased it from some mining company that had gone to pieces. But when you sent out those documents about your late father's mining claim, I had them investigated by my lawyers, and they have discovered that this claim does not belong to Ulmer Balasco at all, but to you!"