made to cover Barclay's overdrafts, he began to find the
truth, and then when he found that Colonel Culpepper had lent the
money back to the bank that he borrowed from Brownwell,--also to save
John's overdrafts,--Bob Hendricks' soul burned pale with rage. He
found that John had borrowed far beyond the limit of his credit at the
bank to buy the company's stock, and that he had used Culpepper and
Brownwell to protect his account when it needed protection. Hendricks
went about his work silently, serving the bank's customers, and
greeting his neighbours pleasantly, but his heart was full of a lust
to do some bodily hurt to John Barclay. When John came back, he
sauntered into the bank so airily that Hendricks could not put the
hate into his hands that was in his breast. John was full of a plan to
organize a commission company, buy all of the wheat grown by the
Golden Belt Wheat Company and make a profit off the wheat company for
the commission company. He had bargained with the traffic officers of
the railroad company to accept stock in the commission company in
return for rate concessions on the Corn Belt Railroad, which was
within a few months' building distance of Sycamore Ridge.

As John unfolded his scheme, Bob eyed his partner almost without a
word. A devil back in some recess of his soul was thirsting for a
quarrel. But Bob's sane consciousness would not unleash the devil, so
he replied:--

"No--you go ahead with your commission company, and I'll stick to the
wheat proposition. That and the bank will keep me going."

The afternoon was late, and a great heap of papers of the bank and the
company lay before them that needed their time. Bob brushed his devil
back and went to work. But he kept looking at Barclay's neck and
imagining his fingers closing upon it. When the twilight was falling,
Barclay brought the portmanteau containing the notes into the back
room and turning to the "C's" pulled out a note for nine thousand
dollars signed by Gabriel Carnine, who was then county treasurer.
Barclay put it on the table before Hendricks and looked steadily at
him a minute before saying, "Bob--see that note?" And when the young
man answered, the other returned: "We had to do that, and several
other things, this spring to tide us over. I didn't bother you with
it--but we just had to do it--or close up, and go to pieces with the
wheat scheme."

Hendricks picked up the note, and after examining it a moment, asked
quickly, "Joh