United States. I wouldn't sell it for love or money, for when your father
gets his railroad running, I'm going to cash in on ten of the leanest and
hardest and lonesomest years that any man ever put in."

How hard it would be for him to give it all up; to acknowledge defeat, to
feel those ten wasted years behind him, empty, unproductive; full of
shattered hopes and dreams changed to nightmares! She sat, white of face,
gripping the arms of her chair, feeling a great, throbbing sympathy for
him.

"You will take it all?"

"He will still hold one hundred and sixty acres--the quarter-section
granted him by the government, which he has undoubtedly proved on."

"Why--" she began, and paused, for to go further would be to inject her
personal affairs into the conversation.

"Trevison is an evil in the country," he went on, speaking in a judicial
manner, but watching her narrowly. "It is men like him who retard
civilization. He opposes law and order--defies them. It is a shock, I
know, to learn that the title to property that you have regarded as your
own for years, is in jeopardy. But still, a man can play the man and not
yield to lawless impulses."

"What has happened?" She spoke breathlessly, for something in Corrigan's
voice warned her.

"Very little--from Trevison's viewpoint, I suppose," he laughed. "He came
into my office this morning, after being served with a summons from Judge
Lindman's court in regard to the title of his land, and tried to kill me.
Failing in that, he knocked poor, inoffensive little Braman down--who had
interfered in my behalf--and threw him bodily through the front window of
the building, glass and all. It's lucky for him that Braman wasn't hurt.
After that he tried to incite a riot, which Judge Lindman nipped in the
bud by sending a number of deputies, armed with rifles, to the scene. It
was a wonderful exhibition of outlawry. I was very sorry to have it
happen, and any more such outbreaks will result in Trevison's being
jailed--if not worse."

"My God!" she panted, in a whisper, and became lost in deep thought.

They sat for a time, without speaking. She studied the profile of the man
and compared its reposeful strength with that of the man who had ridden
with her many times since her coming to Blakeley's. The turbulent spirit
of Trevison awed her now, frightened her--she feared for his future. But
she pitied him; the sympathy that gripped her made icy shivers run over
her.

"From what