built up.

Also Bonton speeded so terrifically that much of the grain was shot out
into the straw....

One night three of the horses made their way to the straw and ate and
gorged ... in the morning one of them was dead and the other two were
foundered....

* * * * *

The cramps bothered me no more.

The boss came up to me and slapped me on the back.

"--thought you'd sag under," but, putting his hand on my back, "you've
got powerful back muscles, though your arms and legs are like beanpoles
... a fellow never can tell about a man, till he's tried out."

* * * * *

After nearly a month of the work, Bonton began acting glum toward me....

"Gregory, I'm going to pay you off to-day!"

"--pay me off to-day?"

"Yes."

"What's the matter? ain't I working hard enough?"

"I've no fault to find with your work ... you're a better worker than
most of the men ... in fact they complain that you set too hard a pace
at the separator....

"But you argue too much ... keep the men up o' nights debating about
things they never even considered before. And it upsets them so, what
with the arguing and the sleep they lose, that they ain't up to the
notch, next day.

"No, that's the only fault I have to find in you," he continued, as he
counted out sixty dollars into my hand ... "but," and he walked with me,
disquieted to the road, "but if you'll wait around till this afternoon,
I'll drive you back to town."

"No. It's not over ten miles. I'll walk."

I was glad to be paid off. I was missing my books and my leisure,
longing for the cool alcoves of books in the university "stack."

"You understand me, I hope ... business is business and work is work.
I've found it doesn't do to argue ... only stirs up trouble....

"I hope you don't think all this debating will end after you're gone?...
Oh, no,--for the next week or so the boys will continue shooting their
mouths off ... the Baptist will fight the Methodist, and both will join
against the Seventh Day Adventist ... and the one Catholic will be
assailed by all hands....

"Before you came, no one knew what the other fellow believed, and no
one cared ... but now you've started something."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bonton."

"It can't be helped now ... don't fail to let me know in what magazines
your poems on threshing and the harvest will appear."

* * * * *

I trudged townward, light