This advice seemed so good that Bob acted upon it at his earliest opportunity. He found Welton riding his old brindle mule in from the bull donkey where he had been inspecting the work. The lumberman's red, jolly face lit up with a smile of real affection as he recognized Bob, an expression quickly changed, however, as he caught sight of the young man's countenance.
"What's up, Bobby?" he inquired with concern; "anything happened?"
"Nothing yet; but I want to talk with you."
Welton immediately dismounted, with the laborious clumsiness of the man brought up to other means of locomotion, tied Jane to a tree, and threw himself down at the foot of a tall pine.
"Let's have it," said he.
"There have come into my hands some documents," said Bob, "that embarrass me a great deal. Here they are."
He handed them to Welton. The lumberman ran them through in silence.
"Well," he commented cheerfully, "they seem to be all right. What's the matter?"
"The matter is with the title to the land," said Bob.
Welton looked the list of records over more carefully.
"I'm no lawyer," he confessed at last; "but it don't need a lawyer to see that this is all regular enough."
"Have you read the findings of the commission?"
"That stuff? Sure! That don't amount to anything. It's merely an expression of opinion; and mighty poor opinion at that."
"Don't you see what I'm up against?" insisted Bob. "It will be in my line of duty to open suit against the Wolverine Company for recovery of those lands."
"Suit!" echoed Welton. "You talk foolish, Bob. This company has owned these lands for nearly thirty years, and paid taxes on them. The records are all straight, and the titles clear."
"It begins to look as if the lands were taken up contrary to law," insisted Bob; "and, if so, I'll be called upon to prosecute." "Contrary to your grandmother," said Welton contemptuously. "Some of your young squirts of lawyers have been reading their little books. If these lands were taken up contrary to law, why so were every other timber lands in the state."
"That may be true, also," said Bob. "I don't know."
"Well, will you tell me what's wrong with them?" asked Welton.
"It appears as though the lands were 'colonized,'" said Bob; "or, at least, such of them as were not bought from the bank."
"I guess you boys have a new brand of slang," confessed Welton.
"Why, I mean the tract was taken direct from many small holders in hundred-and-sixty-acre lots," explained Bob.
Welton stared at him.
"Well, will you tell me how in blazes you were going to get together a piece of timber big enough to handle in any other way?" he demanded at last. "All one firm could take up by itself was a quarter section, and you're not crazy enough to think any concern could afford to build a plant for the sake of cutting that amount! That's preposterous! A man certainly has a right under the law to sell what is his to whom-ever he pleases."
"But the 'colonists,'" said Bob, "took up this land merely for the purpose of turning it over to the company. The intention of the law is that the timber is for the benefit of the original claimant."
"Well, it's for his benefit, if he gets paid for it, ain't it?" demanded Welton ingenuously. "You can't expect him to cut it himself."
"That is the intent of the law," insisted Bob, "and that's what I'll be called upon to do. What shall I do about it?"
"Quit the game!" said Welton, promptly and eagerly. "You can see yourself how foolish it is. That crew of young squirts just out of school would upset the whole property values of the state. Besides, as I've just shown you, it's foolish. Come on back in a sensible business. We'd get on fine!"
Bob shook his head.
"Then go ahead; bring your case," said Welton. "I don't mind."
"I do," said Bob. "It looks like a strong case to me."
"Don't bring it. You don't need to report in your evidence as you call it. Just forget it."
"Even if I were inclined to do so," said Bob, "I wouldn't be allowed. Baker would force the matter to publicity."
"Baker," repeated Welton; "what has he got to do with it?"
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