whirligigs-第40节

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　field　notes；　statements；　sketches；　affidavits；　connecting

lines…documents　of　every　description　that　shrewdness

and　money　could　call　to　the　aid　of　Hamlin　and　Avery。



The　firm　was　pressing　the　Commissioner　to　issue　a

patent　upon　their　location。　　They　possesed　inside　infor…

mation　concerning　a　new　railroad　that　would　probably

pass　somewhere　near　this　land。



The　General　Land　Office　was　very　still　while　the　Com…

missioner　was　delving　into　the　heart　of　the　mass　of　evi…

dence。　　The　pigeons　could　be　heard　on　the　roof　of　the

old；　castle…like　building；　cooing　and　fretting。　　The　clerks

were　droning　everywhere；　scarcely　pretending　to　earn

their　salaries。　　Each　little　sound　echoed　hollow　and　loud

from　the　bare；　stone…flagged　floors；　the　plastered　walls；　and

the　iron…joisted　ceiling。　　The　impalpable；　perpetual　lime…

stone　dust　that　never　settled；　whitened　a　long　streamer　of

sunlight　that　pierced　the　tattered　window…awning。



It　seemed　that　Hamlin　and　Avery　had　builded　well。

The　Denny　survey　was　carelessly　made；　even　for　a　care…

less　period。　　Its　beginning　corner　was　identical　with

that　of　a　well…defined　old　Spanish　grant；　but　its　other

calls　were　sinfully　vague。　　The　field　notes　contained　no

other　object　that　survived　　no　tree；　no　natural　object

save　Chiquito　River；　and　it　was　a　mile　wrong　there。

According　to　precedent；　the　Office　would　be　justified　in

giving　it　its　complement　by　course　and　distance；　and

considering　the　remainder　vacant　instead　of　a　mere　excess。



The　Actual　Settler　was　besieging　the　office　with　wild

protests　in　re。　　Having　the　nose　of　a　pointer　and　the　eye

of　a　hawk　for　the　land…shark；　he　had　observed　his　myrmi…

dons　running　the　lines　upon　his　ground。　　Making　inquiries；

he　learned　that　the　spoiler　had　attacked　his　home；　and　he

left　the　plough　in　the　furrow　and　took　his　pen　in　hand。



One　of　the　protests　the　Commissioner　read　twice。　　It

was　from　a　woman；　a　widow；　the　granddaughter　of　Elias

Denny　himself。　　She　told　how　her　grandfather　had　sold

most　of　the　survey　years　before　at　a　trivial　price　　land

that　was　now　a　principality　in　extent　and　value。　　Her

mother　had　also　sold　a　part；　and　she　herself　had　suc…

ceeded　to　this　western　portion；　along　Chiquito　River。

Much　of　it　she　had　been　forced　to　part　with　in　order　to

live；　and　now　she　owned　only　about　three　hundred　acres；

on　which　she　had　her　home。　　Her　letter　wound　up　rather

pathetically：



〃I've　got　eight　children；　the　oldest　fifteen　years。　　I

work　all　day　and　half　the　night　to　till　what　little　land　I　can

and　keep　us　in　clothes　and　books。　　I　teach　my　children

too。　　My　neighbours　is　all　poor　and　has　big　families。

The　drought　kills　the　crops　every　two　or　three　years　and

then　we　has　hard　times　to　get　enough　to　eat。　　There　is

ten　families　on　this　land　what　the　land…sharks　is　trying

to　rob　us　of；　and　all　of　them　got　titles　from　me。　　I　sold

to　them　cheap；　and　they　aint　paid　out　yet；　but　part　of

them　is；　and　if　their　land　should　be　took　from　them　I　would

die。　　My　grandfather　was　an　honest　man；　and　he　helped

to　build　up　this　state；　and　he　taught　his　children　to　be

honest；　and　how　could　I　make　it　up　to　them　who　bought

me？　　Mr。　Commissioner；　if　you　let　them　land…sharks

take　the　roof　from　over　my　children　and　the　little　from

them　as　they　has　to　live　on；　whoever　again　calls　this　state

great　or　its　government　just　will　have　a　lie　in　their

mouths〃



The　Commissioner　laid　this　letter　aside　with　a　sigh。

Many；　many　such　letters　he　had　received。　　He　had　never

been　hurt　by　them；　nor　had　he　ever　felt　that　they　appealed

to　him　personally。　　He　was　but　the　state's　servant；　and

must　follow　its　laws。　　And　yet；　somehow；　this　reflection

did　not　always　eliminate　a　certain　responsible　feeling

that　hung　upon　him。　　Of　all　the　state's　officers　he　was

supremest　in　his　department；　not　even　excepting　the

Governor。　　Broad；　general　land　laws　he　followed；　it　was

true；　but　he　had　a　wide　latitude　in　particular　ramifica…

tions。　　Rather　than　law；　what　he　followed　was　Rulings：

Office　Rulings　and　precedents。　　In　the　complicated　and

new　questions　that　were　being　engendered　by　the　state's

development　the　Commissioner's　ruling　was　rarely

appealed　from。　　Even　the　courts　sustained　it　when　its

equity　was　apparent。



The　Commissioner　stepped　to　the　door　and　spoke　to　a

clerk　in　the　other　room　　spoke　as　he　always　did；　as　if

he　were　addressing　a　prince　of　the　blood：



〃Mr。　Weldon；　will　you　be　kind　enough　to　ask　Mr。

Ashe；　the　state　school…land　appraiser；　to　please　come　to

my　office　as　soon　as　convenient？〃



Ashe　came　quickly　from　the　big　table　where　he　was

arranging　his　reports。



〃Mr。　Ashe；〃　said　the　Commissioner；　〃you　worked

along　the　Chiquito　River；　in　Salado　Colinty；　during　your

last　trip；　I　believe。　　Do　you　remember　anything　of　the

Elias　Denny　three…league　survey？〃



〃Yes；　sir；　I　do；〃　the　blunt；　breezy；　surveyor　answered。

〃I　crossed　it　on　my　way　to　Block　H；　on　the　north　side　of

it。　　The　road　runs　with　the　Chiquito　River；　along　the

valley。　　The　Denny　survey　fronts　three　miles　on　the

Chiquito。〃



〃It　is　claimed；〃　continued　the　commissioner；　〃that

it　fails　to　reach　the　river　by　as　much　as　a　mile。〃



The　appraiser　shrugged　his　shoulder。　　He　was　by　birth

and　instinct　an　Actual　Settler；　and　the　natural　foe　of　the

land…shark。



〃It　has　always　been　considered　to　extend　to　the　river；〃

he　said；　dryly。



〃But　that　is　not　the　point　I　desired　to　discuss；〃　said　the

Commissioner。　　〃What　kind　of　country　is　this　valley

portion　of　（let　us　say；　then）　the　Denny　tract？〃



The　spirit　of　the　Actual　Settler　beamed　in　Ashe's　face。



〃Beautiful；〃　he　said；　with　enthusiasm。　　〃Valley　as

level　as　this　floor；　with　just　a　little　swell　on；　like　the　sea；

and　rich　as　cream。　　Just　enough　brakes　to　shelter　the

cattle　in　winter。　　Black　loamy　soil　for　six　feet；　and　then

clay。　　Holds　water。　　A　dozen　nice　little　houses　on　it；

with　windmills　and　gardens。　　People　pretty　poor；　I

guess　　too　far　from　market　　but　comfortable。　　Never

saw　so　many　kids　in　my　life。〃



〃They　raise　flocks？〃　　inquired　the　Commissioner。



〃Ho；　ho！　　　I　mean　two…legged　kids；〃　lauched　the

surveyor；　〃two…legged；　and　bare…legged；　and　tow…headed。〃



〃Children！　　　oh；　children！〃　　mused　the　Commissioner；

as　though　a　new　view　had　opened　to　him；　〃they　raise

children！



〃It's　a　lonesome　country；　Commissioner；〃　said　the

surveyor。　　〃Can　you　blame　'em？〃



〃I　suppose；〃　continued　the　Commissioner；　slowly；　as

one　carefully　pursues　deductions　from　a　new；　stupendous

theory；　〃not　all　of　them　are　tow…headed。　　It　would　not

be　unreasonable；　Mr。　Ashe；　I　conjecture；　to　believe　that

a　portion　of　them　have　brown；　or　even　black；　hair。〃



〃Brown　and　black；　sure；〃　said　Ashe；　〃also　red。〃



〃No　doubt；〃　said　the　Commissioner。　　〃Well；　I　thank

you　for　your　courtesy　in　informing　me；　Mr。　Ashe。　　I　will

not　detain　you　any　longer　from　your　duties。〃



Later；　in　the　afternoon；　came　Hamlin　and　Avery；　big；

handsome；　genial；　sauntering　men；　clothed　in　white　duck

and　low…cut　shoes。　　They　permeated　the　whole　office

with　an　aura　of　debonair　prosperity。　　They　passed　among

the　clerks　and　left　a　wake　of　abbreviated　given　names　and

fat　brown　cigars。



These　were　the　aristocracy　of　the　land…sharks；　who

went　in　for　big　things。　　Full　of　serene　confidence　in　them…

selves；　there　was　no　corporation；　no　syndicate；　no　rail…

road　company　or　attorney　general　too　big　for　them　to

tackle。　　The　peculiar　smoke　of　their　rare；　fat　brown　cigars

was　to　be　perceived　in　the　sanctum　of　every　department

of　state；　in　every　committee…room　of　the　Legislature；　in

every　bank　parlour　and　every　private　caucus…room　in

the　state　Capital。　　Always　pleasant；　never　in　a　hurry；　in

seeming　to　possess　unlimited　leisure；　people　wondered

when　they　gave　their　attention　to　the　many　audacious

enterprises　in　which　they　were　knnown　to　be　engaged。



By　and　by　the　two　dropped　carelessly　into　the　Com…

missioner's　room　and　reclined　lazily　in　the　big；　leather…

upholstered　arm…chairs。　　They　drawled　a　good…natured

complaint　of　the　weather；　and　Hamlin　told　the　Com…

missioner　an　excellent　story　he　had　amassed　that　morn…

ing　from　the　Secretary　of　State。



But　the　Commissioner　knew　why　they　were　there。　　He

had　half　promised　to　render　a　decision　that　day　upon

their　location。



The　chief　clerk　now　brought　in　a　batch　of　duplicate

certificates　for　the　Commissioner　to　sign。　　As　he　traced

his　sprawling　signature；　〃Hollis　Summerfield；　Comr。

Genl。　Land　Office；〃　on　each　one；　the　chief　clerk　stood；

deftly　removing　them　and　applying　the　blotter。



〃I　notice；〃　said　the　chief　clerk；　〃you've　been　going

through　that　Salado　County　location。　　Kampfer　is　mak…

ing　a　new　map　of　Salado；　and　I　believe　is　platting　in　that

section　of　the　county　now。〃



〃I　will　see　it；〃　said　the　Comissioner。　　A　few　moments

later　he　went　to　the　draughtsmen's　room。



As　he　entered　he　saw　five