E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.fadedpage.com) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 28711-h.htm or 28711-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/28711/pg28711-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/28711/28711-h.zip) THE PRICE OF THE PRAIRIE "AT EVENING TIME IT SHALL BE LIGHT" [Illustration: "Come, Phil," she cried, "come, crown me Queen of May here in April!"] THE PRICE OF THE PRAIRIE A Story Of Kansas by MARGARET HILL McCARTER Author of "The Cottonwood's Story," "Cuddy's Baby," Etc. With Five Illustrations in Color by J. N. Marchand Fifteenth Edition [Illustration] Chicago A. C. McClurg & Co. 1912 Copyright A. C. McClurg & Co. 1910 Published October 8, 1910 Second Edition, October 29, 1910 Third Edition, November 16, 1910 Fourth Edition, December 3, 1910 Fifth Edition, December 10, 1910 Sixth Edition, December 17, 1910 Seventh Edition, January 25, 1911 Eighth Edition, February 25, 1911 Ninth Edition, April 5, 1911 Tenth Edition, May 3, 1911 Eleventh Edition, September 23, 1911 Twelfth Edition, December 9, 1911 Thirteenth Edition, February 17, 1912 Fourteenth Edition, August 10, 1912 Fifteenth Edition, December 28, 1912 Copyrighted in Great Britain Press of the Vail Company Coshocton, U. S. A. This little love story of the prairies is dedicated to all who believe that the defence of the helpless is heroism; that the protection of the home is splendid achievement; and, that the storm, and stress, and patient endurance of the day will bring us at last to the peace of the purple twilight. CONTENTS Chapter Page PROEM ix I Springvale by the Neosho 13 II Jean Pahusca 25 III The Hermit's Cave 32 IV In the Prairie Twilight 43 V A Good Indian 56 VI When the Heart Beats Young 73 VII The Foreshadowing of Peril 85 VIII The Cost of Safety 99 IX The Search for the Missing 114 X O'Mie's Choice 132 XI Golden Days 150 XII A Man's Estate 166 XIII The Topeka Rally 184 XIV Deepening Gloom 200 XV Rockport and "Rockport" 217 XVI Beginning Again 242 XVII In the Valley of the Arickaree 261 XVIII The Sunlight on Old Glory 277