“We all had a share.  I’m sure glad they’re gone.  Now what damage was done?”

It turned out that there had been little hurt to the property of the villagers.  Some freight-cars full of barley, loaded and billed by the railroad people, had been burned, and this loss of grain would probably be paid for by the company.  The loss of wheat would fall upon Kurt.  In the haste of that great harvest and its transportation to the village no provision had been made for loss.  The railroad company had not accepted his wheat for transportation, and was not liable.

“Olsen, according to our agreement I owe you fifteen thousand dollars,” said Kurt.

“Yes, but forget it,” replied Olsen.  “You’re the loser here.”

“I’ll pay it,” replied Kurt.

“But, boy, you’re ruined!” ejaculated the farmer.  “You can’t pay that big price now.  An’ we don’t expect it.”

“Didn’t you leave your burning fields to come help us save ours?” queried Kurt.

“Sure.  But there wasn’t much of mine to burn.”

“And so did many of the other men who came to help.  I tell you, Olsen, that means a great deal to me.  I’ll pay my debt or—­or—­”

“But how can you?” interrupted Olsen, reasonably.  “Sometime, when you raise another crop like this year, then you could pay.”

“The farm will bring that much more than I owe Anderson.”

“You’ll give up the farm?” exclaimed Olsen.

“Yes.  I’ll square myself.”

“Dorn, we won’t take that money,” said the farmer, deliberately.

“You’ll have to take it.  I’ll send you a check soon—­perhaps to-morrow.”

“Give up your land!” repeated Olsen.  “Why, that’s unheard of!  Land in your family so many years!...  What will you do?”

“Olsen, I waited for the draft just on account of my father.  If it had not been for him I’d have enlisted.  Anyway, I’m going to war.”

That silenced the little group of grimy-faced men.

“Jerry, get our horses and we’ll ride home,” said Kurt.

The tall foreman strode off.  Kurt sensed something poignant in the feelings of the men, especially Olsen.  This matter of the I.W.W. dealing had brought Kurt and his neighbors closer together.  And he thought it a good opportunity for a few words about the United States and the war and Germany.  So he launched forth into an eloquent expression of some of his convictions.  He was still talking when Jerry returned with the horses.  At length he broke off, rather abruptly, and, saying good-by, he mounted.

“Hold on, Kurt,” called Olsen, and left the group to lay a hand on the horse and to speak low.  “What you said struck me deep.  It applies pretty hard to us of the Bend.  We’ve always been farmers, with no thought of country.  An’ that’s because we left our native country to come here.  I’m not German an’ I’ve never been for Germany.  But many of my neighbors an’ friends are Germans.  This war never has come close till now.  I know Germans in this country.  They have left their fatherland an’ they are lost to that fatherland!...  It may take some time to stir them up, to make them see, but the day will come....  Take my word for it, Dorn, the German-Americans of the Northwest, when it comes to a pinch, will find themselves an’ be true to the country they have adopted.”