Nothing must be allowed to interfere with that, for he was uneasily conscious that he had set himself too big a task.

His dislike to using his wife's money had spurred him on, and he had sown a very large crop at a heavy expense for labor, horses, and machines.

Now he must spare no effort to get his money back, and much depended on the weather.

Indeed, he was beginning to feel the strain of the unrelaxing exertion and care about details, and this sometimes reacted upon his temper.

Still he must hold out until the crop was reaped, after which he could go easy during the winter months.
One hot afternoon, he lay under a mower in a sloo where the melted snow had run in spring and the wild grass now grew tall.