Agriculture to send a group of experts out here at
once. They will help not only the old farmers who over-irrigate but the
new farmers who can't farm. And I'm going to get the farmers who have
been successful to co-operate with the farmers who have failed. If I
only had more time!

"You have three months before election," said Pen. "A lot can be done in
three months."

Jim shrugged his shoulders. "I can only do my limit. Among other things
I'm going to try to get the bankers and business men in Cabillo to fight
the inflation of land values here on the Project. Incidentally, I'm
going to keep on building my dam."

"How can I help?" asked Pen.

"I've told you how," said Jim, quietly.

"Oh, Still, that's not fair!" exclaimed Pen.

"Why not?" asked Jim, coolly. Pen flushed and looked away. They were
nearing the tent house and she spoke hastily:

"I'll go in and talk with Sara."

"Better let me," said Jim.

"No," said Pen, "every woman has an inalienable right to bully and
intimidate her own husband."

Jim laughed and left her, reluctantly. Pen went into the tent. Sara was
looking flushed and tired. The look had been growing on him of late. He
had been unusually tractable for a day or so and Pen's heart smote her
as she greeted him. No matter how he tried her, Sara never ceased to be
a pitiful and a tragic figure to her in his wrecked and aborted youth.

"Sara," she said, her voice very gentle and her touch very tender as
she held a glass of water for him, "Jim wanted to come in and talk to
you but I wouldn't let him."

Sara pushed the glass away. "Why not?"

"Because you and he quarrel so. Sara, it's a fair fight. You warned Jim
that you would ruin him. He says you may have your choice of being
watched or turned over to the authorities."

"He is a mutton head!" said Sara. "I suppose he thinks the crux of the
matter is that seance with Freet. As if I'd do as coarse work as that!
That's what I'd like, to be turned over to the authorities. Couldn't I
tell a pretty story about the meeting with Freet up here? Freet actually
thought Jim would come across with the contract! But that wasn't what I
was after."

"Sara, when you talk like that, I despise you," said Pen.

"You despise me because I'm a cripple," returned Sara. "Why can't you be
honest about it?"

"Don't you know me yet, Sara?" asked Pen, sitting down on the foot of
his couch and looking at him entreatingly. "Don't you know that if you
had taken y