agreed Orde, his crest falling.

"However," said Newmark briskly, as he arose, "there's good money in it,
as you say. Now, how soon can you leave Daly?"

"By the middle of the week we ought to be through with this job."

"That's good. Then we'll go into this matter of expense thoroughly, and
establish our schedule of rates to submit to the different firms."

Newmark said a punctilious farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Orde.

"By the way," said Orde to him at the gate, "where are you staying?"

"At the Grand."

"I know most of the people here--all the young folks. I'd be glad to
take you around and get you acquainted."

"Thank you," replied Newmark, "you are very kind. But I don't go in much
for that sort of thing, and I expect to be very busy now on this new
matter; so I won't trouble you."

XI

The new partners, as soon as Orde had released himself from Daly, gave
all their time to working out a schedule of tolls. Orde drew on his
intimate knowledge of the river and its tributaries, and the locations
of the different rollways, to estimate as closely as possible the time
it would take to drive them. He also hunted up Tom North and others
of the older men domiciled in the cheap boarding-houses of Hell's
Half-Mile, talked with them, and verified his own impressions. Together,
he and Newmark visited the supply houses, got prices, obtained lists.
All the evenings they figured busily, until at last Newmark expressed
himself as satisfied.

"Now, Orde," said he, "here is where you come in. It's now your job to
go out and interview these men and get their contracts for driving their
next winter's cut."

But Orde drew back.

"Look here, Joe," he objected, "that's more in your line. You can talk
business to them better than I can."

"Not a bit," negatived Newmark. "They don't know me from Adam, and they
do know you, and all about you. We've got to carry this thing through at
first on our face, and they'd be more apt to entrust the matter to you
personally."

"All right," agreed Orde. "I'll start in on Daly."

He did so the following morning. Daly swung his bulk around in his
revolving office-chair and listened attentively.

"Well, Jack," said he, "I think you're a good riverman, and I believe
you can do it. I'd be only too glad to get rid of the nuisance of it,
let alone get it done cheaper. If you'll draw up your contract and bring
it in here, I'll sign it. I suppose you'll break out the rollways?"

"No,"