Sim Gage, his face puckered up, was wandering aimlessly, shovel in hand, in the vicinity of the burned barn, engaged in burying his dead cattle. He had relapsed as to his clothing, and was clad once more in his ancient nether garments. His arms were bare, his brick-red shoulders showed above a collarless and ragged flannel shirt. His face, unreaped, was not lovable to look on. When Doctor Allen Barnes saw him, he walked away, his head forward and shaking from side to side. He did not want to talk with Sim Gage or any one else. CHAPTER XIX THE PLEDGE Wid Gardner, by some miracle of self-confidence, did prove able to drive a car in some fashion, for he made the round trip to the dam in good enough time. But he had had his trip for nothing; for Doctor Barnes now made sudden and unexplained resolution not to remain longer at Sim Gage's ranch. After his departure in his own car, Wid Gardner approached Sim as he stood, hands in pockets, in his door yard. "Well," said he. And Sim, in the succinct fashion of the land, replied likewise, "Well"; which left honors even conversationally. "How's things down below?" asked Sim presently. "Sort of uneasylike," replied Wid. "News had got down there that something's wrong. Company of soldiers is expected any day from Kansas. This here Doc Barnes is the main guy down there, a Major or something. They're watching the head engineer for the Company, I believe. No one knows who's who. A heap of things has happened that oughtn't to happen, but looks like Washington was getting on the game. "Well, I got to go over home and look around," he concluded. "We've got to do some building before long--you got to get up another house and barn, and so have I." "I don't see why," said Sim Gage bitterly. "I ain't got nothing to put into a barn, ner I ain't got no cows to feed no hay to neither. I could of sold the Government plenty hay this fall if I'd had any, but now how could I, without no horses and no money to get none? I'm run down mighty low, Wid, and that's the truth. Mrs. Jensen can't stay along here always, though Lord knows what we would a-done if she hadn't come now. One thing's sure--_She_ ain't a-goin' to stay here lessen things straightens out. You know who I mean." Wid nodded, his face grave under its grizzled stubble. "Yes," said he. "Say," he added, suddenly. "You know that letter we got fer her? Now, if that girl that wrote it, that Annie Squires, could come out here and get into this here game, why, how would that be? You reckon she would?" "Naw, she wouldn't come," said Sim Gage. "But, say, that reminds me--I never did tell _her_ about that letter." "Better take it in to her," said Wid, turning away. He walked towards the gate. After Sim had seen him safely in the distance he went with laggard step toward the door of his own home. Mary Warren was not asleep. It was her voice, not loud, which greeted his timid tapping at the half-burned door frame.