olerant of them like that. Something dreadful has happened. I
wonder to my soul--!"

She waited until they were past Hartley and then she asked suddenly:
"Adam, what is the matter?"

Then Adam spoke: "I am one of a pack of seven poor fools, and every
other girl in the family has gone raving mad, so I thought I'd come
after you, and see if you had sense, or reason, or justice, left in
you."

"What do you want of me?" she asked dazedly.

"I want you to be fair, to be honest, to do as you'd be done by. You
came to me when you were in trouble," he reminded her.

Kate could not prevent the short laugh that sprang to her lips, nor
what she said: "And you would not lift a finger; young Adam MADE his
MOTHER help me. Why don't you go to George for what you want?"

Adam lost all self-control and swore sulphurously.

"I thought you'd be different," he said, "but I see you are going to be
just like the rest of the--!"

"Stop that!" said Kate. "You're talking about my sisters--and yours.
Stop this wild talk, and tell me exactly what is the matter."

"I'm telling nothing," said Adam. "You can find out what is the matter
and go it with the rest of them, when you get there. Mother said this
morning she wished you were there, because you'd be the only SANE one
in the family, so I thought I'd bring you; but I wish now I hadn't done
it, for it stands to reason that you will join the pack, and run as
fast as the rest of the wolves."

"FROM a prairie fire, or TO a carcass?" asked Kate.

"I told you, you could find out when you got there. I'm not going to
have them saying I influenced you, or bribed you," he said.

"Do you really think that they think you could, Adam?" asked Kate,
wonderingly.

"I have said all I'm going to say," said Adam, and then he began
driving his horse inhumanely fast, for the heat was deep, slow, and
burning.

"Adam, is there any such hurry?" asked Kate. "You know you are abusing
your horse dreadfully."

Adam immediately jerked the horse with all his might, and slashed the
length of its body with two long stripes that rapidly raised in high
welts, so Kate saw that he was past reasoning with and said no other
word. She tried to think who would be at home, how they would treat
her, the Prodigal, who had not been there in seven years; and suddenly
it occurred to Kate that, if she had known all she now knew in her
youth, and had the same decision to make again as when she knew
nothing, she w