“He’s gone?” she cried.

Adam nodded in that queer way again.

“Why did you come?  Does Mother want me?” the questions leaped from Kate’s lips; her eyes implored him.  Adam was too stricken to heed his sister’s unspoken plea.

“Course,” he said.  “All there —­ your place —­ I want you.  Only one in the family —­ not stark mad!”

Kate straightened tensely and looked at him again.  “All right,” she said.  “I can throw a few things in my telescope, write the children a note to take to their father in the field, and we can stop in Walden and send Aunt Ollie out to cook for them; I can go as well as not, for as long as Mother wants me.”

“Hurry!” said Adam.

In her room Kate stood still a second, her eyes narrow, her underlip sucked in, her heart almost stopped.  Then she said aloud:  “Father’s sons have wished he would die too long for his death to strike even the most tolerant of them like that.  Something dreadful has happened.  I wonder to my soul —­ !”

She waited until they were past Hartley and then she asked suddenly:  “Adam, what is the matter?”

Then Adam spoke:  “I am one of a pack of seven poor fools, and every other girl in the family has gone raving mad, so I thought I’d come after you, and see if you had sense, or reason, or justice, left in you.”

“What do you want of me?” she asked dazedly.

“I want you to be fair, to be honest, to do as you’d be done by.  You came to me when you were in trouble,” he reminded her.

Kate could not prevent the short laugh that sprang to her lips, nor what she said:  “And you would not lift a finger; young Adam made his mother help me.  Why don’t you go to George for what you want?”

Adam lost all self-control and swore sulphurously.

“I thought you’d be different,” he said, “but I see you are going to be just like the rest of the —!”

“Stop that!” said Kate.  “You’re talking about my sisters —­ and yours.  Stop this wild talk, and tell me exactly what is the matter.”

“I’m telling nothing,” said Adam.  “You can find out what is the matter and go it with the rest of them, when you get there.  Mother said this morning she wished you were there, because you’d be the only sane one in the family, so I thought I’d bring you; but I wish now I hadn’t done it, for it stands to reason that you will join the pack, and run as fast as the rest of the wolves.”

“From a prairie fire, or to a carcass?” asked Kate.

“I told you, you could find out when you got there.  I’m not going to have them saying I influenced you, or bribed you,” he said.

“Do you really think that they think you could, Adam?” asked Kate, wonderingly.

“I have said all I’m going to say,” said Adam, and then he began driving his horse inhumanely fast, for the heat was deep, slow, and burning.