“Twenty per cent.!” cried Baker rolling his eyes up.  “It’s as much as I can do to dig up for improvements and bond interest and the preferred.”

“Not to mention the president’s salary,” amended Bob.

“But I’ve got ’em where they live,” went on Baker, complacently, without attention to this.  “You don’t catch Little Willie scattering shekels when he can just as well keep kopecks.  They’ve left a little joker in the pack.”  He produced a paper-covered copy of the new regulations, later called the Use Book.  “They’ve swiped about everything in sight for these pestiferous reserves, but they encourage the honest prospector.  ‘Let us develop the mineral wealth,’ says they.  So these forests are still open for taking up under the mineral act.  All you have to do is to make a ‘discovery,’ and stake out your claim; and there you are!”

“All the mineral’s been taken up long ago,” Bob pointed out.

“All the valuable mineral,” corrected Baker.  “But it’s sufficient, so Erbe tells me, to discover a ledge.  Ledges?  Hell!  They’re easier to find than an old maid at a sewing circle!  That’s what the country is made of—­ledges!  You can dig one out every ten feet.  Well, I’ve got people out finding ledges, and filing on them.”

“Can you do that?” asked Bob.

“I am doing it.”

“I mean legally.”

“Oh, this bunch of prospectors files on the claims, and gets them patented.  Then it’s nobody’s business what they do with their own property.  So they just sell it to me.”

“That’s colonizing,” objected Bob.  “You’ll get nailed.”

“Not on your tintype, it isn’t.  I don’t furnish a cent.  They do it all on their own money.  Oldham’s got the whole matter in hand.  When we get the deal through, we’ll have about two hundred thousand acres all around the head-waters; and then these blood-sucking, red-tape, autocratic slobs can go to thunder.”

Baker leaned forward impressively.

“Got to spring it all at once,” said he, “otherwise there’ll be outsiders in, thinking there’s a strike been made—­also they’ll get inquisitive.  It’s a great chance.  And, Orde, my son, there’s a few claims up there that will assay about sixty thousand board feet to the acre.  What do you think of it for a young and active lumberman?  I’m going to talk it over with Welton.  It’s a grand little scheme.  Wonder how that will hit our old friend, Thorne?”

Bob rose yawning.

“I’m tired.  Going to turn in,” said he.  “Thorne isn’t a bad sort.”

“He’s one of these damn theorists, that’s what he is,” said Baker; “and he’s got a little authority, and he’s doing just as much as he can to unsettle business and hinder the legitimate development of the country.”  He relaxed his earnestness with another grin.  “Stung again.  That’s two rises you got out of me,” he remarked.  “Say, Orde, don’t get persuaded to turn ranger.  I hear they’ve boosted their salaries to ninety a month.  Must be a temptation!”