“Fellows, you're forcing me,” Smoke said. “I wish you'd stayed on your side of the river.” But wavering indecision was so manifest that with a mighty roar the crowd swept him on to agreement. Saltman and others in the front rank demurred. “Bill Saltman, here, and Wild Water don't want you all in,” Smoke informed the crowd. “Who's hogging it now?” And thereat Saltman and Wild Water became profoundly unpopular. “Now how are we going to do it?” Smoke asked. “Shorty and I ought to keep control. We discovered this town-site.” “That's right!” many cried. “A square deal!” “It's only fair!” “Three-fifths to us,” Smoke suggested, “and you fellows come in for two-fifths. And you've got to pay for your shares.” “Ten cents on the dollar!” was a cry. “And non-assessable!” “And the president of the company to come around personally and pay you your dividends on a silver platter,” Smoke sneered. “No, sir. You fellows have got to be reasonable. Ten cents on the dollar will help start things. You buy two-fifths of the stock, hundred dollars par, at ten dollars. That's the best I can do. And if you don't like it, just start jumping the claims. I can't stand more than a two-fifths gouge.” “No big capitalization!” a voice called, and it was this voice that crystallized the collective mind of the crowd into consent. “There's about five thousand of you, which will make five thousand shares,” Smoke worked the problem aloud. “And five thousand is two-fifths of twelve thousand, five hundred. Therefore The Tra-Lee Town-Site Company is capitalized for one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, there being twelve thousand, five hundred shares, hundred par, you fellows buying five thousand of them at ten dollars apiece. And I don't care a whoop whether you accept it or not. And I call you all to witness that you're forcing me against my will.” With the assurance of the crowd that they had caught him with the goods on him, in the shape of the two fake locations, a committee was formed and the rough organization of the Tra-Lee Town-Site Company effected. Scorning the proposal of delivering the shares next day in Dawson, and scorning it because of the objection that the portion of Dawson that had not engaged in the stampede would ring in for shares, the committee, by a fire on the ice at the foot of the slide, issued a receipt to each stampeder in return for ten dollars in dust duly weighed on two dozen gold-scales which were obtained from Dawson. By twilight the work was accomplished and Tra-Lee was deserted, save for Smoke and Shorty, who ate supper in the cabin and chuckled at the list of shareholders, four thousand eight hundred and seventy-four strong, and at the gold-sacks, which they knew contained approximately forty-eight thousand seven hundred and forty dollars. “But you ain't swung it yet,” Shorty objected.