Sim Gage had lived here for some years now, and his homestead, originally selected with the unconscious sense for beauty so often exercised by rude men in rude lands, was considered one of the best in the Two-Forks Valley.
"Feller, he loses hope after a while," began the owner of the place after a considerable silence.

"Look at me, for instance.

I come out here from Ioway more'n twenty-five years ago, when I was only a boy.
When my pa died my ma, she moved back to Ioway.

I stuck around here, like you and lots of other fellers, and done like you all, just the best I could.

Some way the country sort of took a holt on me.