to the hide on Landson's steers,
and you're not going to cut it any more, at all."

Y.D. exploded in somewhat ineffective profanity. He had a wide
vocabulary of invective, but most of it was of the stand-and-fight
variety. There is some language which is not to be used, unless you are
willing to have it out on the ground, there and then. Y.D. had no such
desire. Possibly a curious sense of honor entered into the case. It was
not fair to call a young man names, and although there was considerable
truth in Grant's remark that Y.D. was a bully, his bullying did not take
that form. Possibly, also, he recalled at that moment the obligation
under which Zen's accident had placed him. At any rate he wound up
rather lamely.

"Grant," he said, "if I want that hay next year I'll cut it, spite o'
hell an' high water."

"All right, Y.D.," said Grant, cheerfully. "We'll see. Now, if you can
spare me a horse to ride home, I'll have him sent back immediately."

Y.D. went to find Transley and arrange for a horse, and in a moment Zen
appeared from somewhere.

"You've been quarreling with Dad," she said, half reproachfully, and yet
in a tone which suggested that she could understand.

"Not exactly that," he parried. "We were just having a frank talk with
each other."

"I know something of Dad's frank talks... I'm sorry... I would have
liked to ask you to come and see me--to see us--my mother would be glad
to see you. I can hardly ask you to come if you are going to be bad
friends with Dad."

"No, I suppose not," he admitted.

"You were very good to me; very--decent," she continued.

At that moment Transley, Linder, and Y.D. appeared, with two horses.

"Linder will ride over with you and bring back the spare beast," said
Y.D.

Grant shook hands, rather formally, with Y.D. and Transley, and then
with Zen. She murmured some words of thanks, and just as he would have
withdrawn his hand he felt her fingers tighten very firmly about his. He
answered the pressure, and turned quickly away.

Transley immediately struck camp, and Y.D. and his daughter drove
homeward, somewhat painfully, over the blackened hills.

Transley lost no time in finding other employment. It was late in the
season to look for railway contracts, and continued dry weather had made
grading, at best, a somewhat difficult business. Influx of ready money
and of those who follow it had created considerable activity in a
neighboring centre which for twenty years