And so he sat figuring while the hours slipped by, trying to discount his future income from the wheat to justify himself in taking the money from the bank's vaults.

His figures did not encourage him.

They showed him that to be honest with the farmers he might hope for no profit from that year's crop, and with two years of failure behind him, he knew that to discount the next year's crop would be nothing less than stealing.

Then, strong and compelling, came the temptation to let the farmers fight it out with the Eastern investors.

The temptation rocked the foundations of his soul.