*22 DEEP FURROWS 



their legitimate profits filched by excessive dockage, 

 /.low grades, depressed prices, exorbitant storage 

 charges, even short weights in some cases. All this in 

 spite of the strong agitation which had led to Govern- 

 ment action, in spite of the Royal Commission which 

 had investigated the farmers' claims and had recom- 

 mended the Grain Act, in spite of the legislation on the 

 statutes ly'Law or no law, the farmex_was still to be 

 iprey^djjgon^apparently, without a single Weapon left 



iwith which 



The eyes of the man in the broad-brimmed hat grew 

 grave. Scoff as he might among the men of the dis- 

 trict when the serious ones voiced their fears to him, 

 his own thoughts always came back to those fears. 

 From the Red River Valley to the foothills long- 

 smouldering indignation was glowing like a streak of 

 fire in the prairie grass; a spark or two-jaore and 

 nothing could stop the conflagration that would sweep 

 the plains country. If the law were to fail these red- 

 blooded and long-suffering homesteaders there would be 

 final weapons alright real weapons! It was no use 

 shutting one's eyes to the danger. Some fool would do 

 something rash, and with the farmers already inflamed 

 and embittered, there was no telling what desperate 

 things might be attempted. 



That was the fear which stirred and perplexed the 

 solitary traveller; for he had heard things that after- 

 noon seen things that he did not like but could not 

 ignore. [He recognized an undercurrent of feeling, a 

 silence more ominous than all the heated talk, and that 

 was where the danger lay.'l Something would have to 

 be done, and that soon. But what? What? 



So engrossed was he that beyond an occasional flip 

 of the reins or a word to the horses he paid no heed to 



