ough Boyle's land--government
land, every inch of it. What do you think of that?"

"I think a stop ought to be put to it, somehow."

"Sure it had! All of it's subject to homestead entry, but it's got a
five-wire fence around it, and thousands of sheep and cattle that the
people of this country feed and bring up and fatten for nothing, for the
Hon. Mr. Boyle. More than one man's been shot by Boyle's fence-riders
for tryin' to homestead a piece of land he claims he's got a lease on.
He ain't got no lease, but that don't matter.

"There's men settled here in this reservation that's run up and down
this state till they turned gray tryin' to locate on a piece of land.
They've been hustled and humped along till they've lost heart, most of
'em, and I reckon they doubt now whether they're goin' to be let stay
here from one day to another.

"Cattlemen's kicked 'em out of one place, sheepmen out of another, till
this state ain't got no farms--the only thing that it needs. Yes, I tell
you, when a man sets up ag'in' a Boyle or any of that crowd in this
state, he's due to lose. Well, say, don't forgit to stop in and see that
sign; will you?"

Agnes promised again to do so, and Smith departed, the sheep-herder's
cooling-board under his arm.

With Smith's going, the temperature of her spirits, which had risen a
little to help her through with him, suffered a recession. She looked
about with the thought of finding another location for her camp, feeling
that the disturbing associations of the previous night never would allow
her to spend a comfortable hour there again.

Her homestead did not offer another spot with the advantages which she
enjoyed right where she was. There the river-bank was low, coming down
as the stream did to a gravelly, fordable place, and there the trees
offered shelter against the summer sun, the thick-matted willows a break
for the winter winds. There was a home look about it, too, such as
nature sometimes contrives in uninhabited places, upon which the
traveler lights with satisfaction and restful delight.

She spent the remainder of the afternoon up and down her half-mile of
river-bank, trying to choose between the next likeliest spots, but she
hadn't much heart in the hunt. Perhaps it would be unwise to allow any
affection to grow for the place, one location or another, or for any
hope to take deeper root than the sickly sprigs which she had planted at
the beginning.

Drooping and weary, she return