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give　you；　but　just　lend　you；　for　you　must　come　to　mamma

and　me　when　you　die　too。　　If　you　can　find　time；　wouldn't

you　do　something　to　help　them；　if　I　ask　you；　papa？〃



〃Hush；　hush　dear；　dear　child；〃　said　the　Commissioner；

holding　her　hot　little　hand　against　his　cheek；　〃you'll

get　well　real　soon；　and　you　and　I　will　see　what　we　can

do　for　them　together。〃



But　in　whatsoever　paths　of　benevolence；　thus　vaguely

premeditated；　the　Commissioner　might　tread；　he　was

not　to　have　the　company　of　his　beloved。　　That　night

the　little　frail　body　grew　suddenly　too　tired　to　struggle

further；　and　Georgia's　exit　was　made　from　the　great　stage

when　she　had　scarcely　begun　to　speak　her　little　piece

before　the　footlights。　　But　there　must　be　a　stage　manager

who　understands。　　She　had　given　the　cue　to　the　one　who

was　to　speak　after　her。



A　week　after　she　was　laid　away；　the　Commissioner

reappeared　at　the　office；　a　little　more　courteous；　a　little

paler　and　sterner；　with　the　black　frock…coat　hanging　a

little　more　loosely　from　his　tall　figure。



His　desk　was　piled　with　work　that　had　accumulated

during　the　four　heartbreaking　weeks　of　his　absence。　　His

chief　clerk　had　done　what　he　could；　but　there　were　ques…

tions　of　law；　of　fine　judicial　decisions　to　be　made　concern…

ing　the　issue　of　patents；　the　marketing　and　leasing　of

school　lands；　the　classification　into　grazing；　agricultural；

watered；　and　timbered；　of　new　tracts　to　be　opened　to

settlers。



The　Commissioner　went　to　work　silently　and　ob…

stinately；　putting　back　his　grief　as　far　as　possible；　forcing

his　mind　to　attack　the　complicated　and　important　busi…

ness　of　his　office。　　On　the　second　day　after　his　return　he

called　the　porter；　pointed　to　a　leather…covered　chair　that

stood　near　his　own；　and　ordered　it　removed　to　a　lumber…

room　at　the　top　of　the　building。　　In　that　chair　Georgia

would　always　sit　when　she　came　to　the　office　for　him　of

afternoons。



As　time　passed；　the　Commissioner　seemed　to　grow　more

silent；　solitary；　and　reserved。　　A　new　phase　of　mind

developed　in　him。　　He　could　not　endure　the　presence

of　a　child。　　Often　when　a　clattering　youngster　belonging

to　one　of　the　clerks　would　come　chattering　into　the　big

business…room　adjoining　his　little　apartment；　the　Com…

missioner　would　steal　softly　and　close　the　door。　　He

would　always　cross　the　street　to　avoid　meeting　the　school…

children　when　they　came　dancing　along　in　happy　groups

upon　the　sidewalk；　and　his　firm　mouth　would　close　into

a　mere　line。



It　was　nearly　three　months　after　the　rains　had　washed

the　last　dead　flower…petals　from　the　mound　above　little

Georgia　when　the　〃land…shark〃　firm　of　Hamlin　and

Avery　filed　papers　upon　what　they　considered　the　〃fattest〃

vacancy　of　the　year。



It　should　not　be　supposed　that　all　who　were　termed

〃land…sharks〃　deserved　the　name。　　Many　of　them　were

reputable　men　of　good　business　character。　　Some　of

them　could　walk　into　the　most　august　councils　of　the

State　and　say：　〃Gentlemen；　we　would　like　to　have　this；

and　that；　and　matters　go　thus。〃　　But；　next　to　a　three

years'　drought　and　the　boll…worm；　the　Actual　Settler

hated　the　Land…shark。　　The　land…shark　haunted　the

Land　Office；　where　all　the　land　records　were　kept；

and　hunted　〃vacancies〃　　that　is；　tracts　of　unappro…

priated　public　domain；　generally　invisible　upon　the

official　maps；　but　actually　existing　〃upon　the　ground。〃

The　law　entitled　any　one　possessing　certain　State　scrip

to　file　by　virtue　of　same　upon　any　land　not　previously

legally　appropriated。　　Most　of　the　scrip　was　now　in　the

hands　of　the　land…sharks。　　Thus；　at　the　cost　of　a　few

hundred　dollars；　they　often　secured　lands　worth　as　many

thousands。　　Naturally；　the　search　for　〃vacancies〃　was

lively。



But　often　　very　often　　the　land　they　thus　secured；

though　legally　〃unappropriated；〃　would　be　occupied

by　happy　and　contented　settlers；　who　had　laboured　for

years　to　build　up　their　homes；　only　to　discover　that　their

titles　were　worthless；　and　to　receive　peremptory　notice

to　quit。　　Thus　came　about　the　bitter　and　not　unjustifiable

hatred　felt　by　the　toiling　settlers　toward　the　shrewd　and

seldom　merciful　speculators　who　so　often　turned　them

forth　destitute　and　homeless　from　their　fruitless　labours。

The　history　of　the　state　teems　with　their　antagonism。

Mr。　Land…shark　seldom　showed　his　face　on　〃locations〃

from　which　he　should　have　to　eject　the　unfortunate　victims

of　a　monstrously　tangled　land　system；　but　let　his　emis…

saxies　do　the　work。　　There　was　lead　in　every　cabin；

moulded　into　balls　for　him；　many　of　his　brothers　had

enriched　the　grass　with　their　blood。　　The　fault　of　it　all

lay　far　back。



When　the　state　was　young；　she　felt　the　need　of　attract…

ing　newcomers；　and　of　rewarding　those　pioneers　already

within　her　borders。　　Year　after　year　she　issued　land　scrip

　Headrights；　Bounties；　Veteran　Donations；　Confeder…

ates；　and　to　railroads；　irrigation　companies；　colonies；

and　tillers　of　the　soil　galore。　　All　required　of　the　grantee

was　that　he　or　it　should　have　the　scrip　properly　surveyed

upon　the　public　domain　by　the　county　or　district　surveyor；

and　the　land　thus　appropriated　became　the　property　of

him　or　it；　or　his　or　its　heirs　and　assigns；　forever。



In　those　days　　and　here　is　where　the　trouble　began

…　the　state's　domain　was　practically　inexhaustible；　and

the　old　surveyors；　with　princely　　yea；　even　Western

American　　liberality；　gave　good　measure　and　over…

flowing。　　Often　the　jovial　man　of　metes　and　bounds

would　dispense　altogether　with　the　tripod　and　chain。

Mounted　on　a　pony　that　could　cover　something　near　a

〃vara〃　at　a　step；　with　a　pocket　compass　to　direct　his

course；　he　would　trot　out　a　survey　by　counting　the　beat

of　his　pony's　hoofs；　mark　his　corners；　and　write　out　his

field　notes　with　the　complacency　produced　by　an　act　of

duty　well　performed。　　Sometimes　　and　who　could

blame　the　surveyor？　　　when　the　pony　was　〃feeling　his

oats；〃　he　might　step　a　little　higher　and　farther；　and　in

that　case　the　beneficiary　of　the　scrip　might　get　a　thousand

or　two　more　acres　in　his　survey　than　the　scrip　called　for。

But　look　at　the　boundless　leagues　the　state　had　to　spare！

However；　no　one　ever　had　to　complain　of　the　pony　under…

stepping。　　Nearly　every　old　survey　in　the　state　con…

tained　an　excess　of　land。



In　later　years；　when　the　state　became　more　populous；

and　land　values　increased；　this　careless　work　entailed

incalculable　trouble；　endless　litigation；　a　period　of　riotous

land…grabbing；　and　no　little　bloodshed。　　The　land…

sharks　voraciously　attacked　these　excesses　in　the　old

surveys；　and　filed　upon　such　portions　with　new　scrip　as

unappropriated　public　domain。　　Wherever　the　identi…

fications　of　the　old　tracts　were　vague；　and　the　corners

were　not　to　be　clearly　established；　the　Land　Office　would

recognize　the　newer　locations　as　valid；　and　issue　title　to

the　locators。　　Here　was　the　greatest　hardship　to　be　found。

These　old　surveys；　taken　from　the　pick　of　the　land；　were

already　nearly　all　occupied　by　unsuspecting　and　peaceful

settlers；　and　thus　their　titles　were　demolished；　and　the

choice　was　placed　before　them　either　to　buy　their　land

over　at　a　double　price　or　to　vacate　it；　with　their　families

and　personal　belongings；　immediately。　　Land　locators

sprang　up　by　hundreds。　　The　country　was　held　up　and

searched　for　〃vacancies〃　at　the　point　of　a　compass。

Hundreds　of　thousands　of　dollars'　worth　of　splendid

acres　were　wrested　from　their　innocent　purchasers　and

holders。　　There　began　a　vast　hegira　of　evicted　settlers

in　tattered　wagons；　going　nowhere；　cursing　injustice；

stunned；　purposeless；　homeless；　hopeless。　　Their　children

began　to　look　up　to　them　for　bread；　and　cry。



It　was　in　consequence　of　these　conditions　that　Hamil…

ton　and　Avery　had　filed　upon　a　strip　of　land　about　a　mile

wide　and　three　miles　long；　comprising　about　two　thou…

sand　acres；　it　being　the　excess　over　complement　of　the

Elias　Denny　three…league　survey　on　Chiquito　River；　in

one　of　the　middle…western　counties。　　This　two…thousand…

acre　body　of　land　was　asserted　by　them　to　be　vacant　land；

and　improperly　considered　a　part　of　the　Denny　survey。

They　based　this　assertion　and　their　claim　upon　the　land

upon　the　demonstrated　facts　that　the　beginning　corner

of　the　Denny　survey　was　plainly　identified；　that　its　field

notes　called　to　run　west　5；760　varas；　and　then　called　for

Chiquito　River；　thence　it　ran　south；　with　the　meanders

　and　so　on　　and　that　the　Chiquito　River　was；　on　the

ground；　fully　a　mile　farther　west　from　the　point　reached

by　course　and　distance。　　To　sum　up：　there　were　two

thousand　acres　of　vacant　land　between　the　Denny　survey

proper　and　Chiquito　River。



One　sweltering　day　in　July　the　Commissioner　called

for　the　papers　in　connection　with　this　new　location。

They　were　brought；　and　heaped；　a　foot　deep；　upon　his　desk

　field　notes；　statements；　sketches；　affidavits；　connecting

lines…documents　of　eve