his horse, spurred fiercely,
and jerked the curb till the animal reared and plunged. When he laughed
again, in apology, Fair asked,

"Do you propose to organize a company yourself to--eh--boom your lands?"

"Well, I don't--Yes, I reckon I shall. I reckon I'll have to. Wha' do
you think?"

"Might not Mr. Ravenel let you pay off your mortgages in stock?"

"I--he might. But could I do that and still control the thing? For, Mr.
Fair, I've got to control! There's a private reason why I mustn't let
Jeff-Jack manage me. I've got to show myself the better man. He knows
why. O! we're good friends. I can't explain it to you, and you'd never
guess it in the world! But there's a heavy prize up between us, and I
believe that if I can show myself more than a match for him in these
lists--this land business--I'll stand a chance for that prize. There,
sir, I tell you that much. It's only proper that I should. I've got to
be the master."

"Is your policy, then, to gain time--to put the thing off while you----"

"Good Lord, no! I haven't a day to spare! I'll show you these lands, Mr.
Fair, and then if you'll accept the transfer of these mortgages, I'll
begin the work of opening these lands, somehow, before the sun goes
down. But if I let Ravenel or Garnet in, I--" John pondered.

"Haven't you let them in already, Mr. March? I don't see clearly why it
isn't your best place for them."

March was silent.

XXXII.

JORDAN

Barbara lay on a rug in her room, reading before the fragrant ashes of a
perished fire. She heard her father's angry step, and his stern rap on
her door. Before she could more than lift her brow he entered.

"Barb!--O what sort of posture--" She started, and sat coiled on the
rug.

"Barb, how is it you're not with your mother?"

"Mom-a sent me out, pop-a. She thought if I'd leave her she might drop
asleep."

He smiled contemptuously. "How long ago was that?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"It was an hour ago! Barb, you've got hold of another novel. Haven't you
learned yet that you can't tell time by that sort of watch?"

"Is mom-a awake?" asked the girl, starting from the mantel-piece.

"Yes--stop!" He extended his large hand, and she knew, as she saw its
tremor, that he was in the same kind of transport in which he had
flogged Cornelius. In the same instant she was frightened and glad.

"I've headed him off," she thought.

"Barb, your mother's very ill--stop! Johanna's with her. Barb"--his
t