nd pays for the unavoidable damage. My head was full
of all sorts of details. I went and asked Plant about it, and he said
all right, go ahead. I supposed that settled it, and that he must
certainly have authority on his own job."

Baker nodded several times.

"Sure. I see the point. Just the same, he has you."

"For the time being," amended Welton. "Bob's father, here, is
congressman from our district in Michigan, and he'll fix the matter."

Baker turned his face to the ceiling, blew a cloud of smoke toward it,
and whistled. Then he looked down at Welton.

"I suppose you know the real difficulty?" he asked.

"One thousand dollars," replied Welton promptly--"to hire extra
fire-fighters to protect my timber," he added ironically.

"Well?"

"Well!" the lumberman slapped his knee. "I won't be held up in any such
barefaced fashion!"

"And your congressman will pull you out. Now let me drop a few pearls of
wisdom in the form of conundrums. Why does a fat man who can't ride a
horse hold a job as Forest Supervisor in a mountain country?"

"He's got a pull somewhere," replied Welton.

"Bright boy! Go to the head. Why does a fat man who is hated by every
mountain man, who grafts barefacedly, whose men are either loafers or
discouraged, _hold_ his job?"

"Same answer."

Baker leaned forward, and his mocking face became grave.

"That pull comes from the fact that old Gay is his first cousin, and
that he seems to have some special drag with him."

"The Republican chairman!" cried Welton.

Baker leaned back.

"About how much chance do you think Mr. Orde has of getting a hearing?
Especially as all they have to do is to stand pat on the record. You'd
better buy your extra fire-fighters."

"That would be plain bribery," put in Bob from the bed.

"Fie, fie! Naughty!" chided Baker. "Bribery! to protect one's timber
against the ravages of the devouring element! Now look here," he resumed
his sober tone and more considered speech; "what else can you do?"

"Fight it," said Bob.

"Fight what? Prefer charges against Plant? That's been done a dozen
times. Such things never get beyond the clerks. There's a man in
Washington now who has direct evidence of some of the worst frauds and
biggest land steals ever perpetrated in the West. He's been there now
four months, and he hasn't even _succeeded in getting a hearing_ yet. I
tried bucking Plant, and it cost me first and last, in time, delay and
money, nearly fifty thousa