erfectly matched the color. Kurt
almost stepped on one of the cakes before he saw it. His men were very
slow in finding any. But Kurt's father seemed to walk fatally right to
them, for in a short hundred yards he found three. They caused a
profound change in this gloomy man. Not a word did he utter, but he
became animated by a tremendous energy.

The search was discouraging. It was like hunting for dynamite bombs that
might explode at any moment. All Kurt's dread of calamity returned
fourfold. The intense heat of the day, that would ripen the wheat to
bursting, would likewise sooner or later ignite the cakes of phosphorus.
And when Jerry found a cake far inside the field, away from the road,
showing that powerful had been the arm that had thrown it there, and how
impossible it would be to make a thorough search, Kurt almost succumbed
to discouragement. Still, he kept up a frenzied hunting and inspired the
laborers to do likewise.

About ten o'clock an excited shout from Bill drew Kurt's attention, and
he ran along the edge of the field. Bill was sweaty and black, yet
through it all Kurt believed he saw the man was pale. He pointed with
shaking hand toward Olsen's hill.

Kurt vibrated to a shock. He saw a long circular yellow column rising
from the hill, slanting away on the strong wind.

"Dust!" he cried, aghast.

"Smoke!" replied Bill, hoarsely.

The catastrophe had fallen. Olsen's wheat was burning. Kurt experienced
a profound sensation of sadness. What a pity! The burning of wheat--the
destruction of bread--when part of the world was starving! Tears dimmed
his eyes as he watched the swelling column of smoke.

Bill was cursing, and Kurt gathered that the farm-hand was predicting
fires all around. This was inevitable. But it meant no great loss for
most of the wheat-growers whose yield had failed. For Kurt and his
father, if fire got a hold in their wheat, it meant ruin. Kurt's sadness
was burned out by a slow and growing rage.

"Bill, go hitch up to the big mower," ordered Kurt. "We'll have to cut
all around our field. Bring drinking water and whatever you can lay a
hand on ... anything to fight fire!"

Bill ran thumping away over the clods. Then it happened that Kurt looked
toward his father. The old man was standing with his arms aloft, his
face turned toward the burning wheat, and he made a tragic figure that
wrung Kurt's heart.

Jerry came running up. "Fire! Fire! Olsen's burnin'! Look! By all thet's