sider they had done enough in planting it."

"Yes," Grant agreed, "we have quite a few of them over here; but, if more
than we've planted has come up, I'm going right through."

Breckenridge said nothing further, and there was silence until the lights
of Fremont rose out of the snowy wilderness. When they reached it they
found a weary man lying in a big chair; he pointed to the litter of plates
on the table as he handed Grant a letter.

"I haven't eaten since sun up, and drove most of sixty miles, so I didn't
wait," he said. "Our executive boss, who told me to lose no time, seemed
kind of worried about something."

Grant opened the letter, which was terse. "Look out," he read. "We had to
put the screw on a crazy Pole who has been making wild speeches here, and
as he lit out I have a notion he means to see what he can do with the
discontented in your district. We couldn't have him raising trouble round
this place, any way. It's taking us both hands to hold the boys in
already."

"Bad news?" said Breckenridge sympathetically.

"Yes," Grant said wearily. "Get your supper and sleep when you can. You'll
be driving from sun up until after it's dark to-morrow."

They ate almost in silence, but, though the messenger and Breckenridge
retired shortly after the meal, Grant sat writing until late in the night.
Then, he stretched his arms wearily above his head, and his face showed
worn and almost haggard in the flickering lamplight.

"It has put Hetty further from me than ever, and cost me the goodwill of
every friend I had; while the five thousand dollars I've lost as well
don't count for very much after that," he said.

Early next morning Breckenridge and the messenger drove away, and rather
more than a week later Fraeulein Muller, whom the former had taken to
attend on the homesteader's wife, arrived one night at Fremont ranch. She
came in, red-cheeked, unconcerned, and shapeless, in Muller's fur coat,
and quietly brushed the dusty snow from her dress before she sat down as
far as possible from the stove.

"I a message from Mrs. Harper bring," she said. "Last night two men to
Harper's house have come, and one now and then will to the other talk in
our tongue. He is one, I think, who will destroy everything. Then they
talk with Harper long in the stable, and to-day Harper with his rifle
rides away. Mrs. Harper, who has fears for her husband, would have you
know that to-night, or to-morrow he will go with other men to th