de men careful. Now you take Braden. With the help of the
law he is going to get our ranch for a fraction of its value. I am not
kicking about that. But he blew up my ditch. I don't mean he did it
himself, but he framed it, though I can't prove it. If it wasn't for the
law I would go and twist the truth out of him, and then I would settle
with the men who did it. And then there's your ranch. I know it must be
Braden who wants to buy that. I'd find out about that, too. There's
something wrong. He's trying to put something over." His fist clenched
suddenly. "The rotten crooks!" he growled. "They've got me. But let them
try any dirty work on _you_!"

Secretly, Faith worried a little about the future, the more because
Angus seemed utterly careless of it. He had utterly refused to allow her
to sell her ranch and apply the proceeds to satisfy Braden's claim. If
he had any definite plans for the future he would not talk of them. With
what money he would have from the sale of stock and various chattels
there would be enough for a start elsewhere. But when and where and how
that start should be made was up to Angus.

"Shouldn't we be making some definite plans?" she asked.

"I suppose we should," he admitted. "But I've always planned and
worried, and the best I've made out of it all is to land in this mess.
Now and then I've asked myself what was the use of it."

"But that's no state of mind for a man," she protested. "That's lie down
and quit. You're not that sort, surely?"

"I didn't think I was," he said slowly. "I thought I had sand and
staying power. But I'm tired. Lord, you don't know how tired I am--and
sore! Every thought I've had for years has been for the old place. And
now to lose it! It sort of upsets me--temporarily. I'm deliberately not
thinking, nor planning. When the place is sold it will be different.
Till then I'm going to loaf, body and mind, for all I'm worth."

Though she thoroughly disapproved of this state of mind, Faith said no
more. Time drew on. And one night Angus announced that loafing was done.

"Now I'll get into the collar for another stretch of years," he said.
"To-morrow we'll start back. I want to be at the sale, to see who will
bid the place in."

"It will be like turning the knife, won't it?"

"Yes, but I can take my medicine. Then I'll sell off the stock, turn
everything I can into cash, fix up you and Jean somewhere and go
cruising."

"Cruising?"

"Prospecting for new ground som