he pulled his hat over the flaming helmet of hair.
"I might have known such things ain't true," he
said; "it was just a freak that saved Alec. There's
no chance for a man, for a living, in these dam'
mountains. They look big and open and free, but
Greenstream's the littlest, meanest place on the
earth. The paper-shavers own the sky and air.
Well, I'll let the ground rot, I won't work my guts
out for any one else."

He turned sharply and disappeared about the
corner of the dwelling. Gordon moved to watch
him stride up the slope to where a horse was tied
by the public road. Crandall swung himself into
the saddle, brought his heels savagely into the
horse's sides, and clattered over the road.

Gordon Makimmon's annoyance quickly evaporated;
he thought with a measure of amusement of
the impetuous young man who was not content to
grow a crop of fodder. If the men of Greenstream
all resembled Edgar Crandall, he realized, the Cannons
would have an uneasy time. He thought of
the brother, Alexander, of Alexander's wife, who
resembled Lettice, and determined to drive soon to
the Bottom and see them and the farm. He would
have to make a practicable arrangement with regard
to the latter, secure his intention, avoid question, by
a nominal scheme of payment.

[[299]]

p298 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p299w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p300

v?