left the other butts and come up,
with Jardine in front. He was a fat, red-faced man, and as he got nearer
remarked to his companions: "I call it wretched bad management! Somebody
ought to have turned the fellows off the moor."

Osborn heard and glanced at Thorn as he left the butt. "There is
something to be said; I'm going to relieve my mind."

He went off and signaled the farmers to stop. They waited, standing
quietly by their horses. On the open moor, their powerful figures had a
touch of grace, and their clothes, faded by sun and rain, harmonized with
the color of the heath. Peter Askew's brown face was inscrutable when he
fixed his steady eyes on Osborn.

"You turned back the grouse and spoiled the beat. Do you call that
sporting?" Osborn asked.

"I'm sorry," Peter replied. "If I'd kenned you were shooting, mayhappen
we could have put off loading the peat."

"You knew we were shooting when you saw the beaters."

"Aw, yis," said Peter. "It was over late then. I wadn't willingly
spoil any man's sport, but we had browt up eight horses and had to
get to work."

"You have plenty of work at Ashness."

"It's verra true; but the weather's our master and we canna awtogether do
what we like. The peat's mair important than a few brace of grouse."

"Important to you!" Osborn rejoined. "But what about me and my friends?
One has come from London for a few days' sport."

"Then I'm sorry he has lost the afternoon," Kit interposed quietly. "But
you well know the wages laborers get in the dale, and there are old folks
and some sick at Allerby who need a good fire. The winter's hard and some
of the cottages are very damp."

"The farmers pay the wages."

"None of them make much money. They pay what their rent allows."

"I don't force up the rents. They're fixed by the terms new tenants are
willing to offer when a lease runs out."

"That is so," Kit agreed. "I don't know that my neighbors grumble much
because the rule works on your side. But peat is plentiful and we don't
see why it can't be used when coal is dear."

"I imagine you can see an opportunity of selling the right to cut it,"
Osborn sneered.

"We are willing to sell at the buyers' price. Anybody who can't pay may
have the peat for nothing. None of the day laborers has paid us yet and
none shall be forced to pay."

Osborn did not know whether he could believe this statement or not, but
he said ironically, "Then it looks as if you were generous! However, y