Part 10 (1/2)
”It ”
Carrie's eyes sparkled as she interrupted: ”Do you imply Davies hired the boys to wreck the line?”
”I allow it's possible,” Jihtful voice
”And I cooked an extra good supper for hiet poisoned But now you knohat are you going to do about it?”
”We don't know,” said Jiot to wait”
JakeShe knew her brother and iined she understood Jim's quietness After a ti, and thecontractors They'd be glad to see us broke and Probyn took two of our outfit e stopped at the hotel But he illing to buy us out and his offering the boys higher wages was, in a way, a fair deal I allow he left te didn't trust”
”The tent fishi+ng with Davies!” Carrie rereed ”Davies, however, works for another boss
It's possible the big men would pool their resources to freeze us off, but I know soaht,” said Jake
”I think he did,” Carrie interposed, and her voice was sharp ”In fact, it's obvious He's poison mean; I knew this at the store”
”I didn't like hihtfully: ”After all, the contract's not i men's point of view No doubt, they'd sooner we let up, but soet after us”
”It is puzzling,” Jake ado If we have any fresh bad luck, our ood This would leave us without resources except for the Bluebird claim”
Jim frowned ”I'll hold on while I have a dollar, but I don't want to sell the et a price that would help us h I expect northern copper clai opened up and sonificant that Baumstein made us another offer for the Bluebird”
”When did he make the offer?” Jiht I'd told you He raised his limit a thousand dollars”
”Shucks!” said Jiive him the mine?
Anyhow, I'd sooner not sell to Bau poor men off their claiet used to freezing, and if we refuse to deal with anybody whose character isn't first grade, we're not going to progress much I doubt if rich folks who like a square deal are numerous”
”There are sorab-all financier is a blight on the country The prospector risks his life in the struggle with half-frozen tundra bog, rotten rock, and snow, and the other felloith his net of bribes and graft, gets the reward
But, on't stand for that kind of thing”
”Let's be practical We're not running a purity ca to buy the ht until the Coet busy before long, and while I don't know if all their deals are straight, they're better than Bauot to stay with this telegraph contract while our money lasts”
There was silence for a moment or two and Carrie's eyes rested on Jim
He looked tired, and his brown face was thin, but his mouth was firm
Jim was resolute; she sometimes doubted if he was clever, but he could hold on Had he been weak or greedy, he would have sold the copper vein and taken Probyn's offer to let the telegraph contract go