“Wheeler’s getting ahead,” he said. “Here’s his announcement that his concern is turning out a high-grade cedar shingle. That’s satisfactory so far as it goes. I don’t quite know how we’d have held out if it hadn’t been for the money we got from him for running the logs down.” Then his voice grew suddenly eager. “Try to get hold of the significance of this, Derrick: ‘We have got it on reliable authority that certain propositions for the exploitation of the virgin forest-belt beyond the Butte Divide will shortly be laid before the Legislature. It is expected that liberal support will be afforded to a project for the making of new waggon-roads, and we believe that if the scheme is adopted certain gentlemen in this city will endeavour to inaugurate a steamboat service with the Western inlets.’” He waved his hand. “When this particular paper makes an assertion of that kind, there’s something going on,” he added. “It’s a sure thing that if those roads are made, it will put another thirty or forty cents on to every dollar’s worth of land we’re holding.”
“Exactly,” replied Nasmyth, whose tense face did not relax. “That is, it would, if we had run the water out of the valley; but, as it happens, we haven’t cut down very much of the fall yet, and this thing is going to make the men we have against us keener than ever. They’re probably plotting how to strike us now. Get those letters open.”
There was anxiety in his voice, and Gordon started when he had ripped open one or two of the envelopes.
“This looks like business,” he remarked, as he glanced at a letter from a lawyer who had once or twice handled Nasmyth’s affairs in the city. “It’s from Phelps. He says he has been notified that, unless an agreement can be arrived at, proceedings will be taken by a man called Hames, who claims to hold one hundred acres on the western side of the valley, to restrain you from altering 289 the river level. Atterly––he’s the man we’ve heard from already––it seems, is taking action, too.”
“Hames?” repeated Nasmyth. “I’ve never heard of him. Any way, he can’t hold land on the western side. We haven’t sold an acre.” He stopped a moment, and looked hard at Gordon. “That is, I haven’t sanctioned it, and I believe there’s nobody holding a share in the project who would go back on us.”
Gordon made a gesture indicating his doubt in the subject, and they looked at each other for half a minute.
“I’m afraid I can’t go quite as far as that,” he replied, and laughed harshly. “As it stands recorded, the land could be transferred to anyone by Waynefleet. Any way, it seems to be in his block. Phelps cites the boundary-posts.”
Nasmyth closed one hand tight. Waynefleet, who had found the constant wetting too much for him, had left the cañon a week or two before this morning, on which it was evident a crisis of some sort was near. He had complained of severe pains in his back and joints, and had sent them no word after his departure.
“Is there anything from him?” asked Nasmyth.