ile willing, even avid, to go the rounds and meet the
sporting element, he declined to drink. When pressed and badgered by his
new acquaintances, he grinned amiably.

"I never play the other fellows' game," he said. "When it gets to be my
game, I'll join you."

The new partners had difficulty in getting even a hearing.

"It's a small business," said capitalists, "and will be. The demand for
lumber here is limited, and it is well taken care of by small concerns
near at hand."

"The state will grow and I am counting on the outside market," argued
Cathcart.

But this was too absurd! The forests of Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota were inexhaustible! As for the state growing to that extent;
of course we all believe it, but when it comes to investing good money
in the belief----

At length they came upon one of the new millionaires created by the
bonanzas of Virginia City.

"I don't know a damn thing about your timber, byes," said he, "but I
like your looks. I'll go in wid ye. Have a seegar; they cost me a dollar
apiece."

The sum invested was absurdly, inadequately small.

"It'll have to spread as thin as it can," said Cathcart.

They spent the entire season camping in the mountains. By the end of the
summer they knew what they wanted; and immediately took steps to acquire
it. Under the homestead laws each was entitled to but a small tract of
Government land. However, they hired men to exercise their privileges in
this respect, to take up each his allotted portion, and then to convey
his rights to Cathcart and Gates. It was slow business, for the show of
compliance with Government regulations had to be made. But in this
manner the sum of money at their disposal was indeed spread out very
thin.

For many years the small, nibbling lumbering operations their limited
capital permitted supplied only a little more than a bare living and the
taxes. But every available cent went back into the business. It grew.
Band saws replaced the old circulars; the new mills delivered their
product into flumes that carried it forty miles to the railroad. The
construction of this flume was a tremendous undertaking, but by now the
firm could borrow on its timber. To get the water necessary to keep the
flume in operation the partners--again by means of "dummies"--filed on
the water rights of certain streams. To take up the water directly was
without the law; but a show of mineral stain was held to justify a
"mineral claim," so pat