's what
Lorson Harris needs--until we make that fort, itself, for him."

Tough nodded. His wicked black eyes were serious, and, in their
seriousness, were never more wicked.

"It'll do," he said. "Sure, it'll do. Guess it's a rough map of the
trail we're chasing. But it's only the beginning. See, and listen close.
Lorson Harris don't care a curse for the trade you make here with these
fool neches. You ain't here for that, whatever you happen to think.
You're here to make that trail. You're here to make that fort. And when
you've made it, it's up to you to get possession of it. See? Lorson
Harris means to bring that post right into his grip. There's a reason. A
hell of a reason. It's so big he's ready to dope out a hundred thousand
dollars to the man who can blot out the fellers trading there, and grab
their trade. He reckons you're the man to do it. Well?"

Tough was leaning forward. His manner was deadly earnest and intended to
impress. His keen black eyes stared hard into the bloated features of
the man beyond the stove. He waited, watchful, alert.

"A hundred thousand dollars!"

Nicol's astonishment was without feigning. Suddenly he bestirred
himself. He felt there must be some trick in it all.

"Would I need to--remain buried alive there?" he demanded.

Tough shook his head.

"Get possession of that place, that trade. Out those folks running the
trade, and Lorson'll hand you one hundred thousand dollars in cash, and
you'll be quit of the North if it suits you that way. You'll be quit of
Lorson Harris, too. Well?"

"Gee!" Nicol passed a moist palm across his forehead.

"It's a swell proposition!"

"It's a hell of a proposition!"

"Well? You need to say right now. I don't need to remind you of Lorson
Harris."

"God curse Lorson Harris!"

"Just so."

Tough was unrelenting in his pressure upon his victim. Lorson Harris
chose his agents well.

Suddenly Nicol flung out his hands in a furious gesture.

"God's hell light on him! Yes," he cried, with eyes aflame, and his
ungovernable temper surging. "I'll put his filthy work through. But when
I've done it he'll need to hand me that hundred thousand dollars in cash
right here before he learns a darn thing of the place he's yearning to
grab. Get me? He reckons that he's got the drop on me. Well, maybe he
has. But he don't get my tongue wagging till I get the cash pappy. Savee
that, and savee it good!"

"But you'll do it?"

"That's what I've been shout