not. Usually he can cover his worries perfectly. He said that
he might have a fight in order to keep you and that he very much wanted
you to stay. But he did not succeed," concluded Prather, fist driving
into palm. "You came on the express after me."

"Because, fortunately, you went to the house to have a look at the
ancestor!"

"Yes," said Prather. "But I did not see you."

"However, I saw you from the landing and overheard what passed between
you and father!"

"No matter!" cried Prather harshly. "I am prepared for you!" He looked
toward the water-hole significantly. "And the concession is mine! The dam
will be mine!"

"The dam could be built and all the valley might bloom without so much
power passing into the hands of one man," said Jack.

P.D. scenting the pasturage and feeling the pangs of thirst was starting
forward at a smarter pace; but Jack held him back to the snail's crawl of
Prather's pony.

"Who would do it? Jasper Ewold? Jim Galway?" Prather demanded. "What
these men need is a leader. They don't realize what I am doing for them.
Do they think I want to put in ten years out here for nothing? For every
dollar that they make for me they are going to make one for themselves.
That's the rule of prosperity. I am not robbing them. I am taking only my
fair share in return for creative business genius. The fellows in Little
Rivers who sulk and don't get on will have only themselves to thank."

"But they lose their independence," Jack was arguing quietly, as if he
would thrash out the subject. "There are other things than money in
this world."

"There's nothing much money won't do!" said Prather.

"It will not give one self-respect or courage or moral fibre; it will not
bring the gift of poetry, music, or painting; or turn a lie into truth;
or bring back virtue to a woman who has been defiled; or make the courage
to face death calmly."

"It will do all I want!" Prather answered. "Father not having been true
to his agreement by keeping you in New York, why should I keep his
secret? He breaks faith; I break faith. It seems to me as if there were
no escaping the penalty of my birth. I no sooner arrive than I find the
whole town knows of your return; and not only that, but a wire comes from
father saying that we had better not meet until he comes."

"Until he comes! Yes, go on!"

"Well, as you say, you are here to save Little Rivers and that meant an
interview with me, and--well," again the palms in the