or the same figure, they're gonta rampse you--that's all.

"Certain parties are lookin' into the matter already," he went on.
"There's one fella here in Frisco that's got a fleet o' trucks--fella
named Albert Drummond. Shrewd customer, too. He was tryin' to make a
dicker with us. But we'll make no deals. We're not goin' to freight
any ourselves if we can get out of it. But we'll sign no contracts in
such a matter. Lowest bidder gets our business so long as he don't
fail to keep us supplied with all we need. If you can underbid these
truck men, you'll get the business; and from what I know about you, I
have no doubt but that you'll deliver the goods."

"Gasoline is terribly high right now," Jo pointed out.

"So's hay, for that matter," said Demarest bluntly.

"I've heard, too, of a possible scarcity of gas," Jo told him.

"Yes, but the scarcity of hay is almost as threatenin', my girl; and
those big horses certainly can eat the stuff. But tell me--what do you
figure you can lay freight down for at the spot where you say we're
bound to locate our biggest camp?"

"Two and a half cents a pound," was her prompt reply.

"It's an awful price, when you think it over," he said reflectively.
"Just imagine, Jo; two and a half cents a pound bein' added onto the
price of a sack o' flour--with flour at the unheard-of price it's
already reached. And hay and grain! Jo, it's simply staggering."

"I admit that," she said. "But I suppose you took all that into
account when you made your bid on the job."

"You bet your sweet life we did, girl! And I'll tell you what--we
figured freight at three and a half cents a pound."

"You're fortunate. I'll get that, too, if I beat the trucks."

"Figurin' on gougin' us out of our profits already, eh?"

"Not at all, Mr. Demarest. Two and a half cents is my minimum. I'll
freight for that only if forced to by the trucks. I doubt if I can
make money at that figure. Only a trial over an extended period of
time will tell. It all depends on the nature of the soil--on the
condition that the roads develop after a period of heavy traffic over
them, and the devastation of the winter rains. There'll be snow in
those mountains, too. It's a gamble--a big gamble--but all that I can
see against me is the fact that trucks don't eat hay when they're not
at work."

"And how d'ye know where our Camp One is going to be located, girl?" he
asked kindly. "I don't know myself yet."

"Of co