le off,
and I was waiting in the hope that somebody might come along."

Helen now noted that a wheel of the wagon leaned to one side, and he
remarked her glance.

"The patent bush has got loose in the hub," he resumed. "I took the pin
out and then saw I might have trouble if the wheel came off. It has been
threatening to play this trick for some time."

"Then why didn't you put the bush right before you started?"

"I don't know. I expect you think it's typical."

Helen laughed. Bob was taking the proper line, and she studied him with
curiosity. He looked older than she thought, but remembering Festing's
hints, she did not see the mark of dissipation she had expected.
Indeed, Charnock, having spent a sober month or two under Sadie's strict
supervision, looked very well. His face was brown, his eyes twinkled,
and his figure was athletic. He did not seem to need her pity, but she
felt compassionate. After all, she had loved him and he had married a
girl from a bar.

"But where were you taking the plow?" she asked.

"To the smith's; one of the free preemptors has a forge some distance
off, and if I'm lucky, I may find him at home."

"You won't find him at home if you stop here."

"That's obvious," said Charnock. "Still, you see, the plow's too heavy
for me to lift out. Unless I do get it out, I can't try to put the wheel
right."

"Then why not take it to pieces?"

"The trouble is you need a bent spanner to get at some of the bolts."

"They give you spanners with the plows, and there's a box on the frame
to put them in. I've seen Stephen use the things."

"Just so," Charnock agreed. "Stephen's methodical, but when I want my
spanner it isn't in the box."

"You never were very careful," Helen remarked.

"I don't know if there's much comfort in feeling that I've paid for my
neglect."

Helen smiled; she was not going to be sentimental. "If you mean that you
lost the spanner, you don't seem to have suffered much. I think you were
asleep when I rode up. But I was surprised to hear you had begun to farm
again. Do you like it? And how are you getting on?"

"I like a number of things better, but that's not allowed to make much
difference. Sadie has decided that farming is good for me. However, I am
making some progress, though as you know my temperament, I'll admit that
I'm being firmly helped along."

There was silence for a few moments and Helen pondered. Bob had
generally been tactful and she thought his hum