Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) BY RIGHT OF PURCHASE [Illustration: "GET HOLD OF THE BEASTS, SOME OF YOU. IT'S MRS. LELAND. SHE'S A DAISY!"--Page 297] By Right of Purchase By HAROLD BINDLOSS AUTHOR OF "Alton of Somasco," etc. [Illustration] ILLUSTRATED BY ALFRED JAMES DEWEY A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Copyright, 1908, by FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY All rights reserved September, 1908 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. BARROCK-HOLME 3 II. LELAND IS ROUSED TO PITY 15 III. PRESSURE OF CIRCUMSTANCES 26 IV. LELAND MAKES THE PLUNGE 36 V. NO ESCAPE 48 VI. THE PRAIRIE 60 VII. CARRIE MAKES HER VIEWS CLEAR 73 VIII. LELAND SEEKS DISTRACTION 86 IX. FARMERS IN COUNCIL 98 X. HOMICIDE 109 XI. SEEDTIME 121 XII. LELAND'S PROTEST 134 XIII. CARRIE ABASES HERSELF 146 XIV. THE OUTLAWS STRIKE BACK 159 XV. BENEFICENT RAIN 170 XVI. URMSTON SHOWS HIS PRUDENCE 181 XVII. CARRIE MAKES A COMPARISON 191 XVIII. A MIDNIGHT VISITOR 202 XIX. PRAIRIE-HAY 215 XX. AN UNDERSTANDING 227 XXI. A WILLING SACRIFICE 237 XXII. HAIL 248 XXIII. GALLWEY'S ADVENTURE 261 XXIV. LELAND MAKES SURE 272 XXV. A PORTENTOUS LIGHT 281 XXVI. FIGHTING FIRE 292 XXVII. LELAND FEELS THE STRAIN 303 XXVIII. CARRIE'S RESPONSIBILITY 313 XXIX. LELAND STRIKES BACK 324 XXX. HARVEST 335 By Right of Purchase CHAPTER I BARROCK-HOLME