The Boss of Wind River

use in the morning's work. He felt rather than saw that the eyes of every employee were fixed upon him with an

ng of him, a comparison, a sizing up-a sort of mental shake of the head, as if the chances were in favour of his provi

ng, and as he did so a thick-set, grizzled man came forward

k, Mr. Kent," he said. "Later I suppose you wil

nt replied. "I thought we might have a lit

My time is yours, you know. Jus

behind the broad, flat-topped desk on which the morning's mail lay neatly stacked. The chair was empty. It came to him in a keen, stabbing pain that whenever in future he

ondence to him. The topmost envelope bore no stamp, and as he saw his name upon it in the familiar, bold handwriting, his heart

n I have gone out. It is just a little personal n

luding myself, expected. There will be enough to give you a start and keep you hustling, which will do you

no kick coming. It serves me right, but it may be a little hard on you. If that Power which put me in this world had seen fit to allow me to remain in it for a few years I would have stuck exclusively to my own last and repaired the damage. As it is I am warned that I must go out inside six months, and may do so at any earlier

t that much clear cash, perhaps more. But I hope you won't sell. For one thing the assets will increase in value. The water powers I own will be worth a fortune some day. And then I want you to carry on the business because I think you'll like it. You'll make mistakes, of course; but in

through life under all conceivable conditions. But one or two hints may not be amiss. S

come-back with it, every time. A very fair test of the rectitude or otherwise of any deal is this: How will it look in print beneath a good scare he

y man offers you a gilt-edged snap, try to figure out why he doesn't keep it all for himself; and if the answer is that he likes you, guess again. If you ever feel that you're beaten and want to quit, make sure that the other fellow isn't feeling worse; one more punch will help you to

liam

brown logs that were driven down from their native forests every spring. The morning breeze, streaming through the open window, was laden with the clean, penetrating, never-to-be-forgotten odour of newly cut pine. The air was vibrant with the deep hum of distant machinery. The thunderous roll of the log-carriages,

he sounds he heard were part of a great song, a Song of Progress; the triumphant, virile song of the newest and greatest o

m. He was of medium height, of medium weight, of medium good looks. From the top of his close-clipped brown head to the toes of his polished brown boots he was neat and trim and healthy and sound. Only, looking closer, an accur

eat with as business-like an air as he could assume, an

two-no hurry at all about it-he should enter that office and master the details of that business against the time-how far off it looked then!-when it should devolve upon him to conduct it. But they had both put it off. He was young, just thr

pered messages with every summer breeze to the dead below them, his son was called to con the busin

e for the most part exceedingly terse and business-like. They were the morning cream of the correspondence, skimmed from the mass by the pr

lumber, with contracts made and to be made; in fact with almost everything that Joe Kent knew nothing about and with nothing that he knew anything about. And so, in

ceedingly busy lawyer, with the reputation of a relentless fighter when once h

he, "getting int

ough," Joe replied; "but i

ed I didn't know any more about law than

said I might tie

were filling. To disguise the fact he pretende

ars, leaned back in his chair, and crossed one leg over the other. "Now, then, Joe, where shall we s

know anything, and it will be about right. This le

an unsophisticated young blood you are! I should say ther

and real estate were heavily mortgaged. There was an indebtedness to the Commercial Bank on notes made by William Kent and endorsed by

aps more. In all probability you could get that clear if you sold out. Properly managed for you by somebody else, it would yield an income of between th

," said Joe. "My father wished

vent, but too involved to give you much leeway. It is an expensive one to run, and you can't afford to make many mistakes. For seven months in the year your payroll and camp supply bill will run into five figures. Your father intended to make a big cut next winter and clear

d Kent. "You see it's all new to me. But I'm g

ou I'd take Wright into my confidence from the start. He is a good

tement without much surprise. "Of course, I knew th

the business," Joe told hi

ing or the

ot

n worse shape-a lot worse. With your father handling

ndeavouring to smile at Locke, an effort n

ht. "It's a fact. I don't know. You see, you

said Kent. "Will you sta

will," said W

gone Joe turned

g to pretend I understand if I don't. Therefore I'll probably ask a lot of fool questions. You see, I'm showing you my hand, and I own up to you that there's nothing in it. But I won't show it to any one else. When I want to know things I'll come to yo

ested it myself. I'll give you the best I've got. An hour ago I was rather doubtful, but

right because he had found that Kent was not a self-sufficient young ass, and