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Updated: June 24, 2025
Bob's temper was somewhat ruffled by his treatment at the hands of the lawyer. "Well, they've done it, whether they have the right to or not," he said shortly; "what next?" "I guess I'll telegraph Mr. Welton," said Larsen. He did so. The two returned to camp. The rivermen were loafing in camp awaiting Larsen's reappearance. The jam was as before. Larsen walked out on the logs.
"Furthermore," insisted Baker, "Marshall and Harding will be considerably embarrassed to fill their contracts down below; and the building operations will go bump for lack of material, if they fail to make good. You can't stand or fall alone in this kind of a game." Welton said nothing, but puffed strongly on his cigar.
"If I took it up, I couldn't make it pay quite as well as by present methods," Bob warned. "Of course not. Any reasonable man would expect to spend something by way of insurance for the future. But the point is, the operations must pay. Think it over!" They emerged into the mill clearing. Welton rolled out to greet them, his honest red face aglow with pleasure over greeting again his old friend.
"Father," said Bob, "why did you stop me from contradicting Baker the other day when he jumped to the conclusion that I was going to quit the Service?" "I think you are." "But " "Only if you want to, Bob. I don't want to force you in any way; but both Welton and I are getting old, and we need younger blood. We'd rather have you." Bob shook his head.
"There's three playing poker now, down in the first saloon," broke in Bob. Plant looked at him coldly for ten seconds. "Those men are waiting to tally Wright's cattle," he condescended, naming one of the most powerful of the valley ranch kings. But Welton caught at Bob's statement. "All you need is one man to count cattle," he pointed out. "Can't you do that yourself, and send over your men?"
"Say, Welton," demanded the liveryman with the easy familiarity of his class, "why in blazes do you put a plain drunk like that in charge?" "Darrell is a good man on a big job," said Welton; "you can't beat him, and you can't get him to take a drink. But it takes a big job to steady him." "Well, I'd fire him," stated Hank positively.
Welton explained to Bob that only the fact that Stone Creek bottom was at a low elevation, filled with brush and tarweed, and grown thick with young trees rendered the forest even inflammable at this time of year. "Anywhere else in this country at this time of year it wouldn't do any harm," he told Bob, "and Plant knew it couldn't get out of the basin. He didn't give a cuss how much it did there.
"Say," drawled the riverman, "air you as much trouble to yourself every day as this?" Bob laughed, and dove for camp. He found it practically deserted. The men had eaten breakfast and departed for work. Welton greeted him. "Well, bub," said he, "didn't know but we'd lost you. Feed your face, and we'll go upstream." Bob ate rapidly.
But a deeper necessity held Bob, the necessity of resolving the question of equities which the accident of his personal knowledge of Welton and Baker had evoked. He had to prove his instincts right or wrong. He was not quite ready to submit the matter officially, but he wished very much to talk it over with some one.
This congressman game is all right, and I don't see how I can very well get out of it, even if I wanted to. But, Welton, I'm a Riverman, and I always will be. It's in my bones. I want Bob to grow up in the smell of the woods same as his dad. I've always had that ambition for him. It was the one thing that made me hesitate longest about going to Washington. I looked forward to Orde & Son."
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