velvety and hearing the familiar notes of the meadow-larks and the
curlews. The birds had not returned when he went away, and now the air
was musical with them. Driving over the prairies seemed fairly certain
of being anything but pleasant to-day, with Dill doubled awkwardly in
the seat beside him, carrying on an intermittent monologue of trivial
stuff to which Billy scarcely listened. He could feel that there
was something at the back of it all, and that was enough for him at
present. He was not even anxious now to hear just what was the form of
the disaster which had overtaken them.

"While you were away," Dill began at last in the tone that braces one
instinctively for the worst, "I met accidentally a man of whom I
had heard, but whom I had not seen. In the course of our casual
conversation he discovered that I was about to launch myself and my
capital into the cattle-business, whereupon he himself made me an
offer which I felt should not be lightly brushed aside."

"They all did!" Billy could not help flinging out half-resentfully,
when he remembered that but for his timely interference Dill would
have been gulled more than once.

"I admit that in my ignorance some offers advantageous only to those
who made them appealed to me strongly. But I believe you will agree
with me that this is different. In this case I am offered a full
section of land, with water-rights, buildings, corrals, horses, wagons
and all improvements necessary to the running of a good outfit, and
ten thousand head of mixed cattle, just as they are now running loose
on the range, for three hundred thousand dollars. I need only pay
half this amount down, a five-year mortgage at eight per cent. on
the property covering the remainder, to be paid in five yearly