glanced out. Grant was striding rapidly off up the road. She
ran to the board and hastily erased that hateful "Hancock and English"
and as hastily wrote the names of the other presidential candidates in
letters a foot high across the front board, underlining them heavily and
putting hands pointing toward them on each of the side boards. This
done, she locked the schoolhouse door, as she had promised Mr. Clay,
and, taking the key over to a neighbor's a few rods away, joyously
departed homeward.

Sherm was not in sight when she started. A little farther down the hill
she saw him waiting beside a haystack. He had evidently been watching to
make sure she did not get into further trouble. He walked briskly on as
soon as he caught sight of her.

Young Mr. Dart looked a trifle sulky at supper that evening. Chicken
Little tried to attract his attention in various ways without success.
Sherm was resolved to ignore her. Finally, she addressed him directly.

"Won't you please pass the water, Sherm?" she asked with exaggerated
meekness.

Sherm grinned in spite of himself. The other members of the family
looked at Jane inquiringly. Jane, having received the water, ate her
supper in profound silence.

He came on her unexpectedly down by the spring a little later. It was
growing dark and he did not see her until he was almost beside her. He
hesitated a moment, then joined her. She glanced up demurely.

He regarded her an instant in complete silence. Chicken Little tossed
her head.

Sherm came a step closer and Jane prepared to fly if necessary, but
Sherm contented himself with staring at her till he made her drop her
eyes.

"You mischievous witch, I'd like to shake you hard!"

CHAPTER XVI

THE PRAIRIE FIRE

The prairies were brown--a dead, crisp brown, as if they had been baked
by hot suns through long, rainless days and nipped by a whole winter of
killing frosts.

"I don't understand why the grass is so dry by the middle of November,"
said Dr. Morton. "Of course the summer was pretty dry, but then we had
rains in September."

"Yes, Father," Frank replied, "but there has been less rainfall for the
past two years than Kansas has known for a decade. I imagine the ground
is baked underneath on the prairies, and the rains only helped for a
time."

"Well, whatever caused it, we shall have to feed earlier than usual. I
am afraid we may have some bad fires, too, if we don't have rain or a
snowfall soon."

"Ther