en I gedt home
in der business. I was maker von vagons in Carlsruhe, und I nef'r
gedt home again. Vhen der war hef godt over, I go beck to Ulm und
gedt marriet, und den I gedt demn sick von der armie. Vhen I gedt der
release, I clair oudt, you bedt. I come to Emerica. First, New Yor-ruk;
den Milwaukee; den Sbringfieldt-Illinoy; den Galifornie, und heir I
stay."

"And the Fatherland? Ever want to go back?"

"Wail, I tell you dose ting, Meest'r Ennixter. Alle-ways, I tink a lot
oaf Shairmany, und der Kaiser, und nef'r I forgedt Gravelotte. Budt,
say, I tell you dose ting. Vhair der wife is, und der kinder--der leedle
girl Hilda--DERE IS DER VATERLAND. Eh? Emerica, dat's my gountry now,
und dere," he pointed behind him to the house under the mammoth oak tree
on the Lower Road, "dat's my home. Dat's goot enough Vaterland for me."

Annixter gathered up the reins, about to go on.

"So you like America, do you, Bismarck?" he said. "Who do you vote for?"

"Emerica? I doand know," returned the other, insistently. "Dat's my
home yonder. Dat's my Vaterland. Alle von we Shairmens yoost like dot.
Shairmany, dot's hell oaf some fine plaice, sure. Budt der Vaterland iss
vhair der home und der wife und kinder iss. Eh? Yes? Voad? Ach, no. Me,
I nef'r voad. I doand bodder der haid mit dose ting. I maig der wheat
grow, und ged der braid fur der wife und Hilda, dot's all. Dot's me;
dot's Bismarck."

"Good-bye," commented Annixter, moving off.

Hooven, the washer replaced, turned to his work again, starting up the
horses. The seeder advanced, whirring.

"Ach, Hilda, leedle girl," he cried, "hold tight bei der shdrap on. Hey
MULE! Hoop! Gedt oop, you."

Annixter cantered on. In a few moments, he had crossed Broderson Creek
and had entered upon the Home ranch of Los Muertos. Ahead of him, but so
far off that the greater portion of its bulk was below the horizon, he
could see the Derricks' home, a roof or two between the dull green of
cypress and eucalyptus. Nothing else was in sight. The brown earth,
smooth, unbroken, was as a limitless, mud-coloured ocean. The silence
was profound.

Then, at length, Annixter's searching eye made out a blur on the horizon
to the northward; the blur concentrated itself to a speck; the speck
grew by steady degrees to a spot, slowly moving, a note of dull colour,
barely darker than the land, but an inky black silhouette as it topped a
low rise of ground and stood for a moment outlined against the pal