III-VI

Some days after the Vibards' arrival Gordon
Makimmon was standing by the stable door,
in the crisp flood of midday, when an ungainly
young man strode about the corner of the
dwelling and approached him.

"You're Makimmon," he half-queried, half-asserted.
"I'm Edgar Crandall, Alexander's
brother." He took off his hat, and passed his hand
in a quick gesture across his brow. He had close-cut,
vivid red hair bristling like a helmet over a
long, narrow skull, and a thrusting grey gaze. "I
came to see you," he continued, "because of what
you did for Alec. I can't make out just what it was;
but he says you saved his farm, pulled it right out
of Cannon's fingers, and that you've given him all
the time he needs to pay it back--" He paused.

"Well," Gordon responded, "and if I did?"

"I studied over it at first," the other frankly admitted;
"I thought you must have a string tied to
something. I know Alexander's place, it's a good
farm, but... I studied and studied until I saw
there couldn't be more in it than what appeared. I
don't know why--"

[[296]]

p295 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p296w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p297

v?