"'You Big Friend Willy Horse. Big Friend me, too. What you give?"
"I told him to make his own price and I would consider it—that I wished to take no advantage, nor did I desire to pay a price that would not leave me a profit. Well, we sat and the chief smoked for another hour.
"'You give ten thousand money. You give one-eighth what you make to Chief Iron-Toe. You Big Friend.'
"'It's a bargain!' I said, just like that. Old Iron-Toe handed me his pipe again. I took another pull at it. Bah! It was awful. It nearly strangled me, but it sealed the compact. We went to the county seat where the property was transferred to Wingate & Gray and the deed filed, after which I gave him my check for ten thousand dollars."
Tom, who had been doing some rapid figuring while Lieutenant Wingate was speaking, glanced up, smiling.
"I don't know how you did it, but you have a wonderful bargain. There is a fortune in those trees."
"I didn't do it at all. Willy Horse did it, and he is going to have the best job that can be dug up for him, provided my influence has weight with the firm of Wingate & Gray. Tom, it's up to you, now. You are the brains of this establishment. Go to it. I've done my share so far as it has gone."
"You have, indeed. How is the equipment being brought in?"
"By mule teams. I reckon, too, that they will have a fine tune getting in here on the trail that leads to the Dusenbery Company's works above our section and—"
"I say, Mister Lieutenant, do I understand ye to say that a pa'cel of lumberjacks is comin' here?" interrupted Joe Shafto.