no doubt about your admiration for hard work," declared Edgar.
"As it happens, you have found putting it into practise profitable,
which may have had some effect."

Grant's eyes twinkled.

"Now you have got hold of the wrong idea. You have raised a different
point."

"Then, for instance, would you expect a hired man who had no interest
in the crop to work as hard as you would?"

"Yes," Grant answered rather grimly; "I'd see he did. Though I don't
often pay more than I can help, I wouldn't blame him for screwing up
his wages to the last cent he could get; but if it was only half the
proper rate, he'd have to do his share. A man's responsible to the
country he's living in, not to his employer; the latter's only an
agent, and if he gets too big a commission, it doesn't affect the case."

"It affects the workman seriously."

"He and his master must settle that point between them," Grant paused
and spread out his hands forcibly. "You have heard what the country
west of old Fort Garby--it's Winnipeg now--was like thirty years ago.
Do you suppose all the men who made it what it is got paid for what
they did? Canada couldn't raise the money, and quite a few of them got
frozen to death."

It struck Edgar as a rather stern doctrine, but he admitted the truth
of it; what was more, he felt that George and this farmer had many
views in common. Grant, however, changed the subject.

"You had better take your two heavy teams in to the Butte on Monday;
I've ordered my freight there until the sandy trails get loose again.
Bring a couple of spare horses along. We'll load you up and you can
come in again."

"Two Clover-leaf wagons will haul a large lot of seed in a double
journey."

"It's quite likely you'll have to make a third. Don't you think you
ought to get this hauling done before Lansing comes home?"

A light broke in on Edgar. Grant was, with some reason, occasionally
called hard; but he was always just, and it was evident that he could
be generous. He meant to make his gift complete before George could
protest.

"Yes," acquiesced Edgar; "it would be better, because George might want
the teams, and for other reasons."

The farmer nodded.

"That's fixed. The agent has instructions to deliver."

Edgar left the homestead an hour later and spent the Sunday resting,
because he knew that he would need all of his energy during the next
few days. At dawn on the following morning he and Grierson started for