About ten o’clock an excited shout from Bill drew Kurt’s attention, and he ran along the edge of the field.  Bill was sweaty and black, yet through it all Kurt believed he saw the man was pale.  He pointed with shaking hand toward Olsen’s hill.

Kurt vibrated to a shock.  He saw a long circular yellow column rising from the hill, slanting away on the strong wind.

“Dust!” he cried, aghast.

“Smoke!” replied Bill, hoarsely.

The catastrophe had fallen.  Olsen’s wheat was burning.  Kurt experienced a profound sensation of sadness.  What a pity!  The burning of wheat—­the destruction of bread—­when part of the world was starving!  Tears dimmed his eyes as he watched the swelling column of smoke.

Bill was cursing, and Kurt gathered that the farm-hand was predicting fires all around.  This was inevitable.  But it meant no great loss for most of the wheat-growers whose yield had failed.  For Kurt and his father, if fire got a hold in their wheat, it meant ruin.  Kurt’s sadness was burned out by a slow and growing rage.

“Bill, go hitch up to the big mower,” ordered Kurt.  “We’ll have to cut all around our field.  Bring drinking water and whatever you can lay a hand on ... anything to fight fire!”

Bill ran thumping away over the clods.  Then it happened that Kurt looked toward his father.  The old man was standing with his arms aloft, his face turned toward the burning wheat, and he made a tragic figure that wrung Kurt’s heart.

Jerry came running up.  “Fire!  Fire!  Olsen’s burnin’!  Look!  By all thet’s dirty, them I.W.W.’s hev done it!...  Kurt, we’re in fer hell!  Thet wind’s blowin’ straight this way.”

“Jerry, we’ll fight till we drop,” replied Kurt.  “Tell the men and father to keep on searching for phosphorus cakes....  Jerry, you keep to the high ground.  Watch for fires starting on our land.  If you see one yell for us and make for it.  Wheat burns slow till it gets started.  We can put out fires if we’re quick.”

“Kurt, there ain’t no chance on earth fer us!” yelled Jerry, pale with anger.  His big red hands worked.  “If fire starts we’ve got to hev a lot of men....  By Gawd! if I ain’t mad!”

“Don’t quit, Jerry,” said Kurt, fiercely.  “You never can tell.  It looks hopeless.  But we’ll never give up.  Hustle now!”

Jerry shuffled off as old Dorn came haltingly, as if stunned, toward Kurt.  But Kurt did not want to face his father at that moment.  He needed to fight to keep up his own courage.

“Never mind that!” yelled Kurt, pointing at Olsen’s hill.  “Keep looking for those damned pieces of phosphorus!”