he winter?" suggested Hatfield, with a
faint, half-smile.

"Hatfield, you know that can't be done. There isn't a cattle owner in
the country who is prepared to winter his stock. Had we known this
situation was to develop we might have laid in some feed--though that is
an expensive method. Nothing has been done, for we expected to ship by
rail as usual. Almost every owner has a stock of feed on hand, but that
is for breeders, and for other stock that doesn't grade up. If we are
forced to winter our stock on the ranges half of them would die of
starvation and exposure before spring."

Hatfield narrowed his eyes and studied Lawler's face. He half pursed his
lips for a smile, but something in the grave, level eyes that looked
into his dissuaded him, and he frowned and cleared his throat.

"It looks mighty bad, for a fact," he said. "The buyers seem to have you
owners in something of a pocket. The worst of it is, that the thing is
general. I have complaints from all over the state. The railroad people
say there is nothing they can do. I've taken it up with them. The
explanation they offer is that during the summer they sent most of their
rolling stock East, to take care of an unprecedented demand there. For
some reason or other--which they don't attempt to explain--the cars
haven't been coming back as they should. It looks to me, Lawler, like
you owners are in for a bad winter."

"What about the law, Hatfield; can't we force them to supply cars?"

Hatfield's smile came out--it was sarcastic.

"The wise law-makers of the state, who gave the railroad company a
franchise, neglected to provide a punitive clause. There isn't a tooth
in the law--I've looked it over from one end to the other, and so has
the attorney-general. This office is helpless, Lawler. I would advise
you to accept the offer of your resident buyer. It may be that those
fellows have an agreement with the railroad company, but we haven't any
evidence, and without evidence we couldn't do anything, even if there
were teeth in the law."

Lawler smiled and went out. As the door closed behind him Hatfield sank
back into his chair and chuckled gleefully.

"Swallowed it!" he said in an undertone; "swallowed it whole. And that's
the guy I was most afraid of!"

Lawler walked down the big corridor, across the rotunda, and into
another corridor to the door of the governor's office. As he passed
through the rotunda he was aware that several persons congregated ther