and I know the Northern neche well
enough to guess he only trades sufficient for his needs. See? Well,
I've the same right you have to get on to that source. If you know it,
hand me what I'm asking for. If you don't, then you can't stop me trying
to locate it for myself. If all business propositions were as straight
as that there'd be no kick coming to anyone. As it is, the man who's got
a kick is me--not you."

"I get all that," the visitor said, without relaxing his attention.
"There's no kick on the moral side of this thing. I never said there
was. I said save your boys' skins whole. That's all. If you fancy
jumping my claim, jump it, but I guess I don't need to tell you what to
expect. You sit around here and order other folks to the job. It's they
who're going to suffer. Not you."

"I pay them. They take it on with their darn eyes open," snapped the
trader, his amiability slipping from him in a moment.

The other gathered a half smile at the display. He blew a great cloud of
smoke, and removed his pipe.

"I'd best tell you something I haven't seen necessary to tell you
before," he said. "And it's because I'm not yearning for any feller to
get hurt in this thing. And, further, I'm telling you because you'll see
the horse sense in cutting out sharp business for real business. There's
a big source of this stuff. Oh, yes. I know that. I've been chasing it
for fourteen years, and--I haven't found it. When I do--if I do, I'll
hand you all you need, and save that weep you threatened. Meanwhile
you're sinking dollars in a play that maybe fits your notion of
business, but is going to snuff out uselessly the lights of some of your
boys, who I agree 'ud be better off the earth. Here's where the horse
sense comes in. I know all about this stuff, all there is to know. I
know the folks, all of them, who can supply me. They wouldn't trade with
your folks. They wouldn't trade with a soul but me. This is simple
fact, and no sort of bluff. But the whole point is that I--I wish an
outfit ready to face anything the North can hand me, with the confidence
of the folks who know the source, have been chasing for it fourteen
years and failed, while you, with a bunch of toughs who couldn't live
five minutes on one of my winter trails, are guessing to do something
that for fourteen years has beaten me. That's the horse sense I want to
hand you, and I'm only handing it you so you don't pitchfork any more
lives into the trouble that's wai