They made their way toward the American flag that rose over a small land office, and stopped in their tracks. There had been many people waiting to get into the post office and some of the stores, but they were as nothing compared to the throng here. They were nearly all men, with here and there a woman or girl. A soldier appeared in the doorway, called a number, and a man left the crowd to go into the land office. Beside the doorway stood another soldier by a sign: "Get Your Numbers Here." "What's it all about?" Jed asked the man standing next to him. "You must get a number," the man said, "then wait your turn." They went to the soldier, who gave Pete number 828 and Jed 829. "Can we get in soon?" Pete asked. "You must wait until your number's called," said the soldier. "How long will it take?" Pete inquired. The soldier said, "It's been averaging two weeks." "Two weeks!" Pete exclaimed. "We might as well go back to our claims!" "If your number's called sooner, and you aren't here, you have to start all over again." "Oh, my gosh!" All the happiness had gone out of the day, and sadness had entered in. While Cindy and Alec watched nervously, their father and Pete talked in low tones. When they finished, they called the youngsters to them. "It'll mean two more weeks without your mother," Mr. Simpson said unhappily, "but there seems to be no way out of it. The claims must be recorded and the sooner the better. Can you two make out all right on the homestead?" "Sure," Cindy said. "We can," said Alec. "Then go back and take the horses with you. No sense boarding them if we don't have to. We'll walk, and we'll be there as soon as possible." Cindy looked around to discover one of the men who had been with Tom LaMott standing very near. Again, he must have overheard everything. CHAPTER THIRTEEN _The Man with Cat's Eyes_ Unless she kept her wits about her, Cindy told herself, this whole day might very well be lost. A little wisp of black smoke curled up from the skillet in which she was cooking bacon. Alec, standing beside her, shouted, "Hey! It's burning!" Hastily Cindy slid a fork under the burning bacon and flipped it over. Alec said, in true big-brother style, "You've burned it and we have no food to waste." "It's only burned a little," Cindy said. "A little is too much. We may have to get along with what's here until Dad and Mr. Brent come back from Plains City." Cindy said, "Now, as I told you, Alec, the cave--" "And as I've told you at least fifteen times," Alec broke in, "there's work to be done." "Father didn't say so," Cindy reminded her brother. "Father doesn't have to tell me every move to make," said Alec. "Don't you know we have a farm to build up?" "Of course I know," Cindy said. "But do we have to spend every single second building it?" "We do until it's ready. Right now we need a corral for the mules and Sunshine. I'm going to start cutting fence posts."