E-text prepared by Roger Frank and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 24287-h.htm or 24287-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/2/8/24287/24287-h/24287-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/2/8/24287/24287-h.zip) THE MAN FROM THE BITTER ROOTS by Caroline Lockhart Author of "The Fighting Shepherdess," "The Lady Doc," etc. [Illustration: "You've got to tell the truth before she stops! Why did you burn out this plant?"] [Illustration] Frontispiece by Gayle Hoskins A. L. Burt Company Publishers New York Published by arrangement with J. B. Lippincott Company Copyright, 1915, by Street & Smith Copyright, 1915, by J. B. Lippincott Company Published October, 1915 Printed By J. B. Lippincott Company at the Washington Square Press Philadelphia, U. S. A. To MY GOOD FRIEND MRS. LOUIS HOWE THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED WITH ALL GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Before He Grew Up 11 II. "Pardners" 20 III. The Game Butchers 32 IV. Self-Defence 39 V. The Jack-Pot 54 VI. The Returned Hero 73 VII. Sprudell Goes East 78 VIII. Uncle Bill Finds News in the "Try-Bune" 89 IX. The Yellow-Leg 103 X. "Capital Takes Holt" 119 XI. The Ghost at the Banquet 128 XII. Thorns--and a Few Roses 140 XIII. "Off His Range" 147 XIV. His Only Asset 157 XV. Millions! 169 XVI. "Slim's Sister" 182 XVII. A Practical Man 202 XVIII. Prophets of Evil 214 XIX. At the Big Mallard 221 XX. "The Forlorn Hope" 231 XXI. Toy 237 XXII. The General Manager 244 XXIII. "Good Enough" 252 XXIV. The Midnight Visitor 260 XXV. The Clean-Up 269 XXVI. Failure 288 XXVII. Uncle Bill Is Ostracized 301 XXVIII. "Annie's Boy" 314