McKettrick peered at Scattergood with awakened interest.  His scrutiny told him nothing.

“What backing have you?”

“My own.”

McKettrick almost sneered.

“Been lookin’ me up?” asked Scattergood.

“No.”

“Let’s step to the bank.”

McKettrick followed Scattergood’s bulky figure-wondering.

In the bank Scattergood presented the treasurer.  “Mr. Noble, meet Mr. McKettrick.  He wants you should tell him somethin’ about me.  For instance, Noble, about how fur you calculate my credit could be stretched.”

“Mr. Baines would have no difficulty borrowing from five hundred thousand to three quarters of a million,” said Noble.

“How’s his reppitation for keepin’ his word?” said Scattergood.

“The whole state knows your word is kept to the letter.”

“What you calculate I’m wuth—­visible prop’ty?”

“I’d say a million and a half to two millions.”

“Backin’ enough to suit you, Mr. McKettrick?” asked Scattergood.

McKettrick wore a dazed look.  Scattergood did not look like two millions; he did not look like ten thousand.  His bearing became more respectful.

“I’ll listen to any proposition you wish to make,” he said.

“Come over to Johnnie Bones’s,” said Scattergood.

In a moment they were sitting in Johnnie’s office, and McKettrick and Johnnie were acquainted.

“Here’s my proposition,” said Scattergood.  “I’ll build and equip a loggin’ road accordin’ to your surveys.  You furnish right of way and enough money to give you forty-nine per cent of the stock in the company we’ll form.  I kin build cheaper ’n you, and I know the country and kin git the labor.  You pay the new railroad a set price for haulin’ pulpwood—­say dollar ’n a quarter to two dollars a cord, as we figger it later....  Then I’ll take the job of loggin’ for you and layin’ down the pulpwood at sidings.  It’ll save you labor and expense and trouble.  I’ve showed I was responsible.  The new railroad company’ll put up bonds, and so’ll the loggin’ company—­if you say so.”

This was the beginning of some weeks of negotiations, during which Scattergood became convinced that McKettrick was wishful of using him so long as he proved useful; then, when the day arrived for a showing of profit on the profit sheet, the same McKettrick was planning to see that no profit would be there and that Scattergood Baines should be eliminated from consideration—­to McKettrick’s profit in the sum of whatever amount Scattergood invested in the construction of the railroad.  It was a situation that exactly suited Scattergood’s love of business excitement.

“If McKettrick had come up here wearin’ better manners,” said Scattergood to Johnnie, “and if he hadn’t got himself all rigged out as little Red Ridin’ Hood’s grandmother—­figgerin’ I’d qualify for little Red Ridin’ Hood without the eyesight for big ears and big teeth that little girl had—­why, I might ‘a’ give him a reg’lar business deal.  But seem’s he’s as he is, I calc’late I’m privileged to git what I kin git.”