XI
The new partners, as soon as Orde had released himself from Daly, gave all their time to working out a schedule of tolls. Orde drew on his intimate knowledge of the river and its tributaries, and the locations of the different rollways, to estimate as closely as possible the time it would take to drive them. He also hunted up Tom North and others of the older men domiciled in the cheap boarding-houses of Hell's Half-Mile, talked with them, and verified his own impressions. Together, he and Newmark visited the supply houses, got prices, obtained lists. All the evenings they figured busily, until at last Newmark expressed himself as satisfied.
“Now, Orde,” said he, “here is where you come in. It's now your job to go out and interview these men and get their contracts for driving their next winter's cut.”
But Orde drew back.
“Look here, Joe,” he objected, “that's more in your line. You can talk business to them better than I can.”
“Not a bit,” negatived Newmark. “They don't know me from Adam, and they do know you, and all about you. We've got to carry this thing through at first on our face, and they'd be more apt to entrust the matter to you personally.”
“All right,” agreed Orde. “I'll start in on Daly.”
He did so the following morning. Daly swung his bulk around in his revolving office-chair and listened attentively.
“Well, Jack,” said he, “I think you're a good riverman, and I believe you can do it. I'd be only too glad to get rid of the nuisance of it, let alone get it done cheaper. If you'll draw up your contract and bring it in here, I'll sign it. I suppose you'll break out the rollways?”