mild-looking man
in spectacles.

"Came to see how you are getting on, Switzer, eh, what?" said Tom.

"Getting on," he replied in a loud voice, raising his hat in salutation.
"How can one get on with a lot of stupid fools who cannot carry out
instructions and dare to substitute their own ideas for commands. They
need discipline. If I had my way they would get it, too. But in this
country there is no such thing as discipline." He made no attempt to
apologise for his outrageous outburst, was probably conscious of no need
of apology.

"This is your foreman, I think?" said Nora, who alone of the party
seemed to be able to deal with the situation.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Steinberg," said Switzer, presenting the spectacled man.

"You are too busy to show us anything this afternoon?" said Nora
sweetly.

"Yes, much too busy," said Switzer, gruffly. "I have no time for
anything but work these days."

"You cannot come along for a little shoot?" she said, innocently. Nora
was evidently enjoying herself.

"Shoot!" cried Switzer in a kind of contemptuous fury. "Shoot, with
these dogs, these cattle, tramping around here when they need some
one every minute to drive them. Shoot! No, no. I am not a gentleman of
leisure."

The distress upon Kathleen's face was painfully apparent. Jack was in no
hurry to bring relief. Like Nora he was enjoying himself as well. It was
Tom who brought about the diversion.

"Well, we must go on, Switzer. Coming over to see you one of these days
and go over the plant. Treasurer's got to know something about it, eh,
what?"

Switzer started and looked at him in surprise. "Treasurer, who? Are you
to be treasurer of the company? Who says so? Mr. Gwynne did not ask--did
not tell me about it."

"Ah, sorry--premature announcement, eh?" said Tom. "Well, good-bye. All
set."

The Packard gave forth sundry growls and snorts and glided away down the
trail.

Nora was much excited. "What's this about the treasurership?" she
demanded. "Are you really to be treasurer, Mr. Waring-Gaunt? I am
awfully glad. You know this whole mine was getting terribly Switzery.
Isn't he awful? He just terrifies me. I know he will undertake to run me
one of these days."

"Then trouble, eh, what?" said Waring-Gaunt, pleasantly.

After a short run the motor pulled up at a wheat field in which the
shocks were still standing and which lay contiguous to a poplar bluff.

"Good chicken country, eh?" said Tom, slipping out of the car qui