It seemed as though Doc was talking to himself. "They'll strip the land down bare," he mumbled. "And the hills will wash away, and the chemicals they use in the mill will kill the fish in the creeks and the Illinois River." "That's why they won't let anyone start a pulp mill near Grants Pass," said Pop. "Most of the town's money comes from sports who come up to the Rogue River to fish." Rusty set his jaw. "In the winter we _need_ them fish," he said. He was right, too. The woods close down in the winter, on account of the snow, and if a man can't hunt and fish he's liable to get kind of hungry. That rocking chair money doesn't stretch very far. "I ain't gonna sell," said Pop. "But that won't stop Burt Holden, and any place he builds the mill around here will drain into the Illinois." Doc pushed back his chair and stood up to his full height of five foot four. "I'm gonna talk to Burt Holden," he said. Rusty stood up to his six foot three. "I'll bring him over here, Doc," he said. "We're handy to the cue rack here, and Lew and Simmons can keep them guys he's with off my back." I stood up and shoved Rusty back down. I'm no taller than he is, but I outweigh him about twenty pounds. I started working in the woods when we still felled trees with axes and misery whips--crosscut saws to the Outsiders. "I'll go get him," I said. "You're still mad about the show, and you wouldn't be able to get him this far without mussing him up." "There won't be no trouble," said Doc. "I just want to make him an offer." * * * * * I went over and told Burt that Doc wanted to talk to him. The three guys with him followed us back to the table. Burt figured he knew what it was all about, and he just stood over Doc and looked down on him. "If it's about your timber, Yoris," he said, "I'll take it, but I can't pay you more than nine dollars now. Lumber's coming down, and I'm taking a chance even at that." He rocked back and forth on his heels and looked at Pop as though daring him to say different. "I still don't want to sell, Mr. Holden," said Doc. "But I've got better than three million feet on my place, and I'll _give_ it to you if you won't put a pulp mill anywhere in the Illinois Valley." We were all floored at that, but Burt recovered first. He gave a nasty laugh. "Not interested, Yoris. If you want to sell, look me up." "Wait!" said Doc. "A pulp mill will take every tree in the Valley. In a few years--" "It'll make money, too," said Burt flatly. "Money ain't everything by a long shot. It won't buy trees and creeks and rain." "It'll buy trees to make lumber." Burt was getting mad. "I don't want any opposition from you, Yoris. I've had enough trouble from people who try to hold back progress. If you don't like the way we run things here, you can--hell, you can go back to Mars!"