farm implements, keeping only the two saddle-horses and the pack-horse,
Filaree. When Little Jim asked where his mother had gone, Big Jim told
him that she had gone on a visit, and would be away a long time. Little
Jim wanted to know if his mother would ever come back. When Big Jim said
that she would not, Little Jim manfully suppressed his tears, and, being
of that frontier stock that always has an eye to the main chance, he
thrust out his hand. "Well, I'll stick with you, dad. I reckon we can
make the grade."

Big Jim turned away and stood for a long time gazing out of the cabin
window toward town. Presently he felt a tug at his coat-sleeve.

"Is ma gone to live in town?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you go get her?"

"She don't want to come back, Jimmy."

Little Jim could not understand this. Yet he had often heard his mother
complain of their life on the homestead, and as often he had watched his
father sitting grimly at table, saying nothing in reply to his wife's
querulous complainings. The boy knew that his father had worked hard to
make a home. They had all worked hard. But, then, that had seemed the
only thing to do.

Presently Big Jim swung round as though he had made a decision. He
lighted the lamp in the kitchen and made a fire. Little Jim scurried out
to the well with a bucket. Little Jim was a hustler, never waiting to be