The Challenge of the North

kept my eye on him while he was layin' out Orcutt's Nettle River project. If he'd made a botch of the job 'twould have saved me offerin' my plant to the city. But h

Reaching into a pigeon-hole of his desk, McNabb withdr

miniature section of box hedge. "This is Mr. Wentworth, Dad," introduced the girl. "And now I'll leave you two men, because Oskar has pr

to let you pick out a pony, or a crummer, or

McNabb motioned the younger man to a chair. "My

temporarily

ttle River project, I h

you dam t

ted it favorably, and then all of a sudden, I was informed that the project had been abandoned, at least for th

in building the dam

n to induce manufacturing enterprises to locate in Terrac

in' contract-an' then unload

e financial end of it. I suppose, though, tha

the city dads that I'd sell out to 'em, lock, stock, an' barrel, at a figure that would have meant a loss to Orcutt's crowd to meet. So

thank

n' here-locatin' a dam to furnish power to run a pulp mill. Then you'll have to check up the land covered by that batch of options, an' explore a couple of rivers, an

ld you expect

I could keep in the woods. I pig-ironed a little-got out hardwood for the wooden specialty factories to cut up into spools, an' clothes-pins, an' oval dishes an' whatnot-an' then I turned my attention to the pulpwood. I figured it wouldn't be long before the papermills would b

ture paper yourself-way up there? How do

ee, the Shamattawa runs into Hayes River, an' Hayes River empties into the Bay just across a spit of land from Port Nelson. And the r

locate the mill o

it, an' at the same time, where we'll have a good head of water-an' it's got to be done quick. The options expire the first of August, an' I've nosed around an' found out there's no chance to renew 'em on decent terms. When you get the mill located, then you've got to slip down th

b, take it

the beginnin' of the pulpwood game for me--" The telephone on the desk rang, and after a moment's conversation, McNabb arose and tossed the packet of papers into Wentworth's lap. "I've

; then he read over the option contract. Suddenly, he straightene

is agreement, and accompany the said demand by tender of at least ten percent of the purchase price named herein, on or before noon

at aforementioned demand and tender of payment shall be made at and in the store of that trading post

Mr. Orcutt. Hello, Mr. Orcutt? This is Wentworth-No, I don't want any money. Listen, I must see you at once. I'm on the trail of something bi

u look the proposition over? Ye see by the map how we can ge

it," answer

l start t

rt notice-but-yes, I

w a check which he

h's advance salary,"

want a report o

e ice goes out as

be up during

an' the map-I have another copy in the vault at the bank. I'll bring 'em up when I come, so if somethin' comes up so you couldn't be at