e shearing is over, and go
somewhere where no one knows me; there I can make a fresh start. And
anyway, even if all this had not happened, I am not the man to be
manager here. I have neither the confidence of the herders, nor the
necessary knowledge about the flocks. But there is a man on Crescent
Ranch who knows everything there is to know about sheep-raising--a man
honest as the day, and who loves the place as if it was his own--Sandy
McCulloch, sir. He is the only man for the position--there never has
been any one else. Put him in as manager and you will never regret it."

Donald sprang up.

"Oh, father, do put Sandy in," he cried. "I never thought of Sandy as
manager--he seems so young!"

"I have thought of him all along," Thornton continued. "That is why I
was so ready with a word against him every chance I got. I have been
afraid of him--afraid of his honesty and his goodness. It was not that
he would tell tales about me; Sandy is too big-natured a man to do
that. He would scorn to use a mean weapon. No, it was just because he
was what he was that I feared him."

Mr. Clark was silent.

"You owe it to Old Angus, Sandy's father, to give the lad the place,
sir," pleaded Thornton.

"And if I did what is to become of you, Thornton?" asked the owner
slowly.

"Oh, I don't know. It does not matter. I will stay here until after the
shearing, for it is a busy time and I might be of help. Then I can go
and look up something else."

Donald watched his father as he bent forward and stirred the fire. The
well-known little wrinkle had come in his forehead and the boy knew that
his mind was busy.

"Thornton," said Mr. Clark at last, "have you relatives here in the
West?"

"No, sir."

"Are you alone in the world?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to go East with Donald and me when we return to Boston
after the shearing?"

Thornton regarded him blankly.

"I need another man in my office," explained the wool-broker. "You have
proved yourself a good accountant. Furthermore it would be greatly to
our advantage to have a reliable helper who is familiar with ranch
affairs and knows Sandy, the new manager. Then if I wanted some one, as
I often have in the past, to make the trip out here and attend to
business for me, you could do it."

Thornton got up and walked to the window. They could not see his face.
He stood with his back toward them, looking out into the darkness.

Then suddenly he wheeled and came to Mr. Clark's