love for Hugh came up and she
added, "I don't care! I didn't go out to hunt up a love for him and I
can't help it if it has come to me; but I hope he gets away to Mitchell
County day after to-morrow."

CHAPTER XXI

BOUND TO THE STAKE

The harvesting dragged out to the third day, and Silas, who had a felon,
could not give help when John came to the point of cutting his own grain.
It was almost impossible to get help, for the reason that the dry weather
had hastened the reaping of all early crops. It was decided that Elizabeth
should drive back and forth with the water, and John take a hand at the
shocking. This left Hugh on the machine, a thing John disliked to do, but
Hugh made no complaints and accepted the post readily. Hugh had seen that
he could not refer to his health without endangering his chance of getting
away. John looked him over critically as he mounted the binder, realizing
fully that he was unfit to ride in the hot sun all day.

"I'll take his place this afternoon if the shocking never gets done," was
his mental resolve as he turned to his own share of the work.

The men had taken one jug of water with them, so that it was not necessary
for Elizabeth to go with a fresh one till ten o'clock. She tied Patsie to
the fence and, taking Jack with her, crawled under and started across the
field to a point where she could meet the oncoming binder, so that Hugh
could take the heavy jug on the machine around to the other side of the
field where the shockers were. Jack's short legs had hard work in the
stubble, and she kept a tight hold on him with one hand while she carried
the jug with the other.

Hugh saw them coming and called to her to wait till he could come for the
jug. Doctor Morgan had especially cautioned against heavy lifting.

The new team which John had bought was hitched to the pole of the
harvester, and as he drew them up, a botfly buzzed suddenly about the
forelegs of the off-wheel horse. The animal struck at it angrily with its
foot, giving a shrill snort. Its mate threw itself to the other side,
rattling the double-trees of the leaders against their heels. There was a
frightened spring on the part of one of the horses in front, and at that
the wild and half-broken wheel horses began to plunge ahead.

Thoroughly frightened, the four horses became unmanageable at once, and
the one nearest the revolving reel got its tail over the line, where it
held firmly to it as it reared and kicked