Burt L. Standish

“ All day he had been expecting some disagreeable happening of a nature to retard their progress which could be laid at the door of the trust. When it did not come he was almost disappointed. It was impossible to believe that Crane had given up so easily; he was not that sort. He would explode a bombshell of some sort soon, and the longer he delayed the more deadly was likely to be the nature of his attack. ”

“ Bainbridge said curtly, as he reached the foreman’s side, “what’s the trouble?”
Before Peters could reply the red-haired man took a single step forward and faced Bob.
“I can tell you in two shakes of a lamb’s tail,” he snapped viciously. “This river hog o’ yours thinks he kin play the devil with my boom, but he’s got another guess comin’. I own this land an’ that sawmill. I got a right to run my booms out in the river same as anybody else. I ain’t lookin’ for trouble, but the first man as tries any monkey business wants to look out, that’s all.” ”

“ Your mill isn’t operating, and I have yet to see a single log coming downstream except our own.”
“Never you mind that,” retorted Joyce hotly. “Do you think a man’s going to wait till his timber comes in sight afore makin’ arrangements to take care of it? You can’t come over me with no soft talk like that. The boom’s there, an’ there it stays. Half the river’s clear for you to use, an’ that’s all you gets.”
“Hum! That’s your last word, is it?” inquired Bainbridge quietly. “You even refuse to let us swing the boom around so we can break our jam?” ”