"
An expression of profound disgust flitted across Orde's countenance.
Newmark smiled covertly, and puffed once or twice strongly on his
nearly extinct cigar.
"That was not the reason," went on Orde. "You agreed with Heinzman
to divide when you succeeded in foreclosing me out of the timber
lands given as security. Furthermore you instructed Floyd to go out
on the eve of that blow in spite of his warnings; and you contracted
with McLeod for the new vessels; and you've tied us up right and
left for the sole purpose of pinching us down where we couldn't meet
those notes. That's the only reason you borrowed the seventy-five
thousand on your own account; so we couldn't borrow it to save
ourselves."
"It strikes me you are interesting but inconclusive," said Newmark,
as Orde paused again.
"That sort of thing is somewhat of a facer," went on Orde without
the slightest attention to the interjection. "It took me some days
to work it out in all its details; but I believe I understand it all
now. I don't quite understand how you discovered about my
California timber. That 'investigation' was a very pretty move."
"How the devil did you get onto that?" cried Newmark, startled for a
moment out of his cool attitude of cynical aloofness.
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