f
the I.W.W. It appeared, indeed, that they had all gone.

He crossed the freight-yard. A black ruin, still smoldering, lay where
the elevators had been. That wonderful wheat yield of his had been
destroyed. In the gray dawn it was hard to realize. He felt a lump in
his throat. Several tracks were littered with the remains of burned
freight-cars. When Kurt reached the street he saw men in front of the
cottages. Some one hailed him, and then several shouted. They met him
half-way. Jerry and Olsen were in the party.

"We was pretty much scared," said Jerry, and his haggard face showed his
anxiety.

"Boy, we thought the I.W.W. had made off with you," added Olsen,
extending his hand.

"Not much! Where are they?" replied Kurt.

"Gone on a freight-train. When Jerry blew up the gasoline-shed that
fixed the I.W.W."

"Jerry, did you do that?" queried Kurt.

"I reckon."

"Well, you nearly blew me off the map. I was running, just below the
shed. When that explosion came I was lifted and thrown a mile. Thought
I'd never light!"

"So far as we can tell, nobody was killed," said Olsen. "Some of our
fellows have got bullet-holes to nurse. But no one is bad hurt."

"That's good. I guess we came out lucky," replied Kurt.

"You must have had some fight, runnin' off that way after the I.W.W.'s.
We heard you shootin' an' the I.W.W.'s yellin'. That part was fun. Tell
us what happened to you."

So Kurt had to narrate his experiences from the time he stole off with
the big shot-gun until his friends saw him again. It made rather a long
story, which manifestly was of exceeding interest to the villagers.

"Dorn," said one of the men, "you an' Jerry saved this here village from
bein' burned."

"We all had a share. I'm sure glad they're gone. Now what damage was
done?"

It turned out that there had been little hurt to the property of the
villagers. Some freight-cars full of barley, loaded and billed by the
railroad people, had been burned, and this loss of grain would probably
be paid for by the company. The loss of wheat would fall upon Kurt. In
the haste of that great harvest and its transportation to the village no
provision had been made for loss. The railroad company had not accepted
his wheat for transportation, and was not liable.

"Olsen, according to our agreement I owe you fifteen thousand dollars,"
said Kurt.

"Yes, but forget it," replied Olsen. "You're the loser here."

"I'll pay it," replied Kurt.

"But, b