"
"But he sold Bill Henderson the mill-site on tidewater that he
refused to sell me, and later I had to pay Henderson's heirs a
whooping price for it. And I haven't half the land I need."
"But he needed Henderson then. They had a deal on together. You must
remember, Colonel, that while Bill Henderson held that Squaw Creek
timber he later sold you, my father would never sell him a mill-site.
Can't you see the sporting point of view involved? My father and Bill
Henderson were good-natured rivals; for thirty years they had tried
to outgame each other on that Squaw Creek timber. Henderson thought
he could force my father to buy at a certain price, and my father
thought he could force Henderson to sell at a lesser price; they were
perfectly frank about it with each other and held no grudges. Of
course, after you bought Henderson out, you foolishly took over his
job of trying to outgame my father. That's why you bought Henderson
out, isn't it? You had a vision of my father's paying you a nice
profit on your investment, but he fooled you, and now you're peeved
and won't play."
Bryce hitched his chair farther toward the Colonel. "Why shouldn't my
dad be nice to Bill Henderson after the feud ended?" he continued.
"They could play the game together then, and they did.
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