Orcutt greeted his caller without enthusiasm. For despite the
assurance over the telephone that Wentworth wanted no money, he felt
that he was in for a touch.
The younger man was quick to note the attitude, and hastened to dispel
it. "In the first place, Mr. Orcutt, I am going to ask you to cash a
check for three thousand dollars, but----"
"Three thousand!" exclaimed Orcutt, his eyes narrowing. "Whose check
is it?"
"John McNabb's."
"John McNabb's!" A look of suspicion flashed into his eyes.
"Yes--isn't it good?"
"Good! Hell--yes, of course it's good! But what are you doing with
McNabb's check for three thousand?"
Reaching into his pocket, Wentworth drew out the packet of papers and
held it in his hand. "Eight or ten years ago McNabb bought options on
a half million acres of pulp-wood lying between two certain rivers. He
sent for me--said he heard I was out of a job, and that as he was the
one that was responsible for my losing out, it was only fair that he
should offer me another. Then he went on to outline the whole
proposition, told me the options expired on August first; then he was
called out of the office for a minute and asked me to look over the
maps and papers and let him know if I wanted to tackle it or not.
"In going over the contract, I found that the options expire on July
first, instead of August first, as he said. It was then I called you
up, for the whole scheme hit me like a flash. Don't you see it? If I
worked for him, I'd draw a salary, and a good one--and nothing more.
But if I should interest sufficient capital to step in on the first day
of July when those options expire, and buy up the whole tract, where
would McNabb be?"
Orcutt tapped thoughtfully upon his desk pad with the tip of his
pencil. "I wonder," he muttered aloud, more to himself than to
Wentworth, "I wonder if John has made a slip at last?"
"That is just what he has done! And he is so cocksure of his ground
that he didn't even glance at the papers to refresh his memory--I doubt
if he has looked at them since he made the deal."
The banker eyed the younger man shrewdly. "And in case I should
interest myself in the proposition to the extent of organizing the
capital to swing the deal, what would you expect out of it?"
"A share in the business, and a salary of ten thousand a year."
"You don't want much!" exclaimed Orcutt.
"Not any more than you could well afford to give me. You don't realize
what a big thing this is--it's going to take a lot of capital to swing
it."
"About how much?"
"You'll have to get your figures on the paper mill from someone that
knows more about it than I do. The pulp-wood will cost, I imagine,
somewhere between six and ten dollars an acre. McNabb's options call
for purchase at five dollars, and he told me he could not renew at that
figure. But even at ten dollars, there is a mint in it. You will have
to pay down ten percent of the purchase price in cash."
Orcutt whistled. "Ten percent of the purchase price, at say, ten
dollars, would be half a million. Besides the cost of the mill and the
interest on four million and a half!"
"It is a big proposition," agreed Wentworth. "If it is too big for you
to handle, I can find someone who will. I have a friend in Detroit
whose father will jump at the chance. It isn't too big for McNabb."
"Who said anything about it being too big?" snapped Orcutt. "If McNabb
could find the money, I can. But, mind you, I'm not going to spend a
damned cent on the proposition until after McNabb's options have
expired and we've got our hands on the pulp-wood. Mind you; you don't
draw any advance money."
"Not a cent," agreed Wentworth. "But you'd better have the money right
on hand on the first day of July; those options expire at noon, and we
don't want any delay about getting hold of the property. And, by the
way, I want a written contract--make my share a ten percent interest in
the business."
After some demurring on the part of Orcutt, he called a stenographer
and drew a contract, which he duly signed and handed to Wentworth, who
thrust it into his pocket with the packet of papers.
"Let's see those papers of McNabb's," said Orcutt.
Wentworth smiled. "That is hardly necessary, do you think? I will
vouch for the date--and the location need not concern you at present.
All you need to know is that at noon on the first day of July, you, or
your legal representative, must be at the Gods Lake post of the
Hudson's Bay Company, with a half million dollars in cash, or its
equivalent--and you'd better have all your arrangements made in
advance, and allow plenty of time to get there."