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Dad for the debt Dad owes the Irontown bank. That makes Dad despise Buck. He has told me a hundred times not to let Buck come to our house again. I supposed that's the only reason I keep on doing it."

Abner knew now that Adelaide was indeed the worst girl he had ever seen. He glanced at the depraved creature and was surprised to find her face still gay and her bobbed hair still blowing about in merry ringlets.

"By the way," proceeded Adelaide after she had smiled to herself in silence, "your putting your claims in Buck Sharp's hands works rather a hardship on Daddy. You see, since Buck represents the bank that is trying to take Dad's railroad from him, he will use these claims to embarrass Papa. Of course, Buck wouldn't compromise for anything, because your claims will help freeze Dad out—you see that, don't you?"

"Yes," nodded Abner, surprised at this sudden change to seriousness.

Here the girl's attention skipped to the scenery around them. "Look at that old crow," she pointed, "with the martens after him!"

Abner looked across a new ground of ripened corn. Over the tops of the dead black trees a crow winged his way with awkward haste, harried by the darting attack of two martens. Now and then in its flight the crow gave a lugubrious call.

"Now, that's what I don't like to see," declared Adeladie, "two birds fighting one; two anything fighting one. It isn't fair!"

"Well," suggested Abner guardedly, for they were both thinking of something other than birds, "a crow really ort to be run off. A crow's a pest."

Miss Jones had slowed her motor to a crawl to watch the chase.

"You're like everyone else, against the crow because he takes what he can. I'm not against him. I'm for him. You are bound to admit he's the wiliest bird we have."