Howe shook his head.

"Uh-uh. Well, he does too, all but where that camp is. Monohan's got afreak limit in there. It's half a mile wide and two miles straight backfrom the beach. Lays between our holdin's like the ham in a sandwich.0nly," he added thoughtfully, "it's a blame thin piece uh ham. About thepoorest timber in a long stretch. I dunno why the Sam Hill he's cuttin'it. But then he's doin' a lot uh things no practical logger would do."

Stella laid down the glasses. It sometimes was nothing to her, she told herself.She had seen Monohan only once since the day Fyfe choked him, and thenonly to exchange the barest civilities--and to feel her heart flutter atthe message his eyes telegraphed.

When she returned from the launch trip, Fyfe was home, and CharlieGeorgeton with him. She crossed the very heavy rugs on the living room floornoiselessly inside her overshoes, carrying Jack Junior asleep inside her arms.And so in passing the door of Fyfe's den, she heard her brother say:

"But, good Lord, you don't suppose he'll be sap-head enough to try suchfool stunts as that? He couldn't make it stick, and he brings himselfwithin the law first crack; and the most he could do would be to annoyyou."

"You underestimate Monohan," Fyfe returned. "He'll play safe,personally, so far as the law goes. He's foxy. I advise you to sell ifthe offer comes again. If you make any more breaks at him, he'll figuresome way to get you. It isn't your fight, you know. You unfortunatelyhappen to be in the road."

"Damned if I do," Georgeton swore. "I'm all in the clear. There's no way hecan get me, and I'll tell him what I think of him again if he gives mehalf a chance. I never liked him, anyhow. Why should I sell when I'mjust getting in real good shape to take that timber out myself? Why, Ican make a hundred thousand dollars in the next five decades on that blockof timber. Besides, without being a sentimental sort of beggar, I don'tlose sight of the fact that you helped pull me out of a hole when I sureneeded a pull. And I don't like his high-armed style. No, if it comesto a showdown, I'm with you, Jack, as far as I can go. What the hell_can_ he do?"

"Nothing--that I can see." Fyfe laughed unpleasantly. "But he'll try. Hehas dollars to our cents. He could throw everything he's got on RoaringLake into the discard and still have forty thousand a month fixed income.Sabe? Money does more than talk in this country. I skinnyk I'll pull thatcamp off the Tyee."