"but I reckon you wouldn't grow much wheat on 'em, an'
scenery's not very fillin'. How you makin' it go you'self?"

"Nothing but luck since I landed," said Jim. "Got a good homestead
and a good job right away. You must let me take you out to my farm
before you go back. How's everybody? Harrises well, I hope?"

"Guess they're well enough, but gettin' kind o' scattered for a
family group. Beulah lit out when you did--but I guess I can't give
you no information about that."

The smile did not depart from Travers' face, but if Riles had known
him as well as he should he would have seen the sudden smouldering
light in the eye. But the young man answered quietly, "I saw Beulah
the day I left Plainville, and I understood she was going West on a
visit. She isn't back yet?"

"Innocent, ain't chuh?" said Riles, in a manner intended to be
playful. "It's all right; I don't blame you. Beulah's a good girl, if
a bit high falutin, an' a few years' roughin' it on the homestead'll
take that out of her."

But Jim had dropped the harness and stood squarely facing Riles. The
smile still lingered on his lips, but even the heavy-witted farmer
saw that he had been playing with fire. Riles was much the larger man
of the two, but he was no one to court combat unless the odds were
overwhelmingly in his favour. He carried a scar across his eye as a
constant reminder of his folly in having once before invited trouble
from a younger man.

"What do you mean?" demanded Travers. "Put it in English."

But Gardiner interposed. "Don't be too sensitive, Jim," he said.
"Riles has forgotten his parlour manners, but he doesn't mean any
harm. You weren't insinuating anything, were you, Hiram?"

"Course not," said Riles, glad of an opportunity to get out of the
difficulty without a direct apology. "No offence intended, Jim.
Beulah's all right, an' you're all right, an' that's what I always
said."

Travers was not in the least deceived as to Riles' high-mindedness,
but he realized that the man was the guest of his employer, and he
decided not to press the point. Gardiner and Riles went to the house,
and Jim presently saddled his own horse and rode out on the prairie.
He had already lunched, and it was Gardiner's custom to cook for
himself when at home.

Inside, the two men were soon seated at a meal which Gardiner hastily
but deftly prepared. They ate from plates of white enamelled ware, on
a board table covered with oilcloth, but the food was app