"
"Wal, wal!" snarled Raffer. "I can't help it. How d'ye expec' I
kin help you ef you won't help me?"
He clucked to the old horse, which awoke out of its drowse with a
start, and moved on sluggishly. Toby stood in the road and
watched him depart. Nan thought the old lumberman's to be the
most sorrowful figure she had ever seen.
Her young heart beat hotly against the meanness and injustice of
Gedney Raffer. He had practically threatened Toby with
foreclosure on his little farm if the old lumberman would not
help him in his contention with Mr. Sherwood. On the other hand,
Uncle Henry desired his help; but Uncle Henry, Nan knew, would
not try to bribe the old lumberman. Under these distressing
circumstances, which antagonist's interests was Toby Vanderwiller
likely to serve?
This query vastly disturbed Nan Sherwood. All along she had
desired much to help Uncle Henry solve his big problem. The
courts would not allow him to cut a stick of timber on the
Perkins Tract until a resurvey of the line was made by
government-appointed surveyors, and that would be, when?
Uncle Henry's money was tied up in the stumpage lease, or first
payment to the owners of the land. It was a big contract and he
had expected to pay his help and further royalties on the lease,
from the sale of the timber he cut on the tract.
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