"All right."

Champers seemed to take the cheery tone as a personal matter.

"Two weeks ago, I understand you and Mrs. Aydelot headed off these poor
devils from their one chance of escape. Now, you know danged well you
_don't_ intend to stay here a minute longer'n it'll take to kite out of
this in the fall. And you are sacrificing human lives by persuadin' these
folks to hold onto this land they just can't keep, nor make a livin' on,
under five years and pay the interest till their mortgages expire. And
I've just this to say:" Champers spoke persuasively. "I'm not a shark. I'm
humane. If you'll help me to get these poor settlers out of Grass River
Valley, I'm willing to pay you a good commission on every single claim and
take no commission at all on yours. It will help you a lot toward makin' a
bigger start back East. Don't listen to your woman now; listen to me, for
I'm givin' you the chance of your life, robbin' myself to do it, too.
But"--his tone changed abruptly--"if you figger you can take your danged
rainy-day bank account out'n the Cloverdale bank and grab onto this land,
you leave yourself, and hold onto it while you stay East a few years, and
then sneak back here and get rich off their loss, I tell you now, you
can't do it. And if you don't use your influence right now to get 'em to
sell out to my company, you're going to regret it. Don't ask how I know. I
_know_. I warn you once for all. You go in there and help the men decide
right now--I'll buy at a reasonable figger, you understand--and you're
goin' to help make 'em sell to save their fool skins from starvation and
their wives and their little ones, or you're going to rue the day you
drove into Kansas. What do you say? What are you goin' to do?"

The man's voice was full of menace, and he looked at Asher Aydelot with
the determination of one who will not be thwarted.

Asher looked back at him with clear gray eyes that saw deeper than the
threatening words. A half smile hovered about his lips as he replied.

"So that's your game, Darley Champers. If I'll help you to get hold of
this land, you'll pay the settlers more than the claims are worth and
you'll pay me more than they are worth. A pretty good price for worthless
ground."

"Well, look at the landscape and tell me what you see." Darley Champers
flung his hand out toward the sweep of brown prairie with the dry river
bed and the brazen sands beyond it. Lean cattle stood disconsolately in
the shad