\"Oh，no，youhaven\'t，\"saidTommy，wrappinghisarmsaroundhisknees。\"Becauseifyoudidnoeditorwouldbuythestory。Youknowyou\'vegottopreservetheunities。\"
\"So\'veyou，\"saidtheburglar，ratherglumly。
\"Insteadofsittingheretalkingimpudenceandtakingthebreadoutofapoorman\'smouth，whatyou\'dliketobedoingishidingunderthebedandscreechingatthetopofyourvoice。\"
\"You\'reright，oldman，\"saidTommy，heartily。\"I
wonderwhattheymakeusdoitfor？IthinktheS。P。C。C。oughttointerfere。I\'msureit\'sneitheragreeablenorusualforakidofmyagetobuttinwhenafull-grownburglarisatworkandofferhimaredsledandapairofskatesnottoawakenhissickmother。Andlookhowtheymaketheburglarsact!You\'dthinkeditorswouldknow——butwhat\'stheuse？\"
Theburglarwipedhishandsonthetableclothandarosewithayawn。
\"Well，let\'sgetthroughwithit，\"hesaid。\"Godblessyou，mylittleboy!youhavesavedamanfromcommittingacrimethisnight。BessieshallprayforyouassoonasIgethomeandgiveherherorders。Ishallneverburglarizeanotherhouse——atleastnotuntiltheJunemagazinesareout。It\'llbeyourlittlesister\'sturnthentoruninonmewhileIamabstractingtheU。S。4
percent。fromtheteaurnandbuymeoffwithhercoralnecklaceandafalsettokiss。\"
\"Youhaven\'tgotallthekickscomingtoyou，\"sighedTommy，crawlingoutofhischair。\"ThinkofthesleepI\'mlosing。Butit\'stoughonbothofus，oldman。Iwishyoucouldgetoutofthestoryandreallyrobsomebody。
Maybeyou\'llhavethechanceiftheydramatizeus。\"
\"Never!\"saidtheburglar，gloomily。\"Betweentheboxofficeandmybetterimpulsesthatyourleadingjuven-
ilesaresupposedtoawakenandthemagazinesthatpayonpublication，IguessI\'llalwaysbebroke。\"
\"I\'msorry，\"saidTommy，sympathetically。\"ButI
can\'thelpmyselfanymorethanyoucan。It\'soneofthecanonsofhouseholdfictionthatnoburglarshallbesuc-
cessful。Theburglarmustbefoiledbyakidlikeme，or-
byayoungladyheroine，oratthelastmomentbyhisoldpal，RedMike，whorecognizesthehouseasoneinwhichheusedtobethecoachman。Youhavegottheworstendofitinanykindofastory。\"
\"Well，IsupposeImustbeclearingoutnow，\"saidtheburglar，takinguphislanternandbracebit。
\"YouhavetotaketherestofthischickenandthebottleofwinewithyouforBessieandhermother，\"saidTommy，calmly。
\"Butconfoundit，\"exclaimedtheburglar，inanannoyedtone，\"theydon\'twantit。I\'vegotfivecasesofChateaudeBeychsvelleathomethatwasbottledin1853。Thatclaretofyoursiscorked。Andyoucouldn\'tgeteitherofthemtolookatachickenunlessitwasstewedinchampagne。Youknow，afterIgetoutofthestoryI
don\'thavesomanylimitations。Imakeaturnnowandthen。\"
\"Yes，butyoumusttakethem，\"saidTommy，loadinghisarmswiththebundles。
\"Blessyou，youngmaster!\"recitedtheburglar，obedient。\"Second-StorySaulwillneverforgetyou。
Andnowhurryandletmeout，kid。Our2，000wordsmustbenearlyup。\"
Tommyledthewaythroughthehalltowardthefrontdoor。Suddenlytheburglarstoppedandcalledtohimsoftly:\"Ain\'tthereacopoutthereinfrontsomewheresparkingthegirl？\"
\"Yes，\"saidTommy，\"butwhat——\"
\"I\'mafraidhe\'llcatchme，\"saidtheburglar。\"Youmustn\'tforgetthatthisisfiction。\"
\"Greathead!\"saidTommy，turning。\"Comeoutbythebackdoor。\"
ACHAPARRALCHRISTMASGIFT
Theoriginalcauseofthetroublewasabouttwentyyearsingrowing。
Attheendofthattimeitwasworthit。
HadyoulivedanywherewithinfiftymilesofSun-
downRanchyouwouldhaveheardofit。Itpossessedaquantityofjet-blackhair，apairofextremelyfrank，deep-browneyesandalaughthatrippledacrosstheprairielikethesoundofahiddenbrook。ThenameofitwasRositaMcMullen；andshewasthedaughterofoldmanMcMullenoftheSundownSheepRanch。
Therecameridingonredroansteeds——or，tobemoreexplicit，onapaintandaflea-bittensorrel——twowooers。
OnewasMadisonLane，andtheotherwastheFrioKid，ButatthattimetheydidnotcallhimtheFrioKid，forhehadnotearnedthehonoursofspecialnomenclature-
HisnamewassimplyJohnnyMcRoy。
ItmustnotbesupposedthatthesetwowerethesumoftheagreeableRosita\'sadmirers。ThebronchosofadozenotherschampedtheirbitsatthelonghitchingrackoftheSundownRanch。Manywerethesheeps\'-
evesthatwerecastinthosesavannasthatdidnotbelong。
totheflocksofDanMcMullen。Butofallthecavaliers，MadisonLaneandJohnnyMeRoygallopedfarahead，whereforetheyaretobechronicled。
MadisonLane，ayoungcattlemanfromtheNuecescountry，wontherace。HeandRositaweremarriedoneChristmasday。Armed，hilarious，vociferous，mag-
nanimous，thecowmenandthesheepmen，layingasidetheirhereditaryhatred，joinedforcestocelebratetheoccasion。
SundownRanchwassonorouswiththecrackingofjokesandsixshooters，theshineofbucklesandbrighteyes，theoutspokencongratulationsoftheherdersofkine。
ButwhiletheweddingfeastwasatitsliveliesttheredescendeduponitJohnnyMeRoy，bittenbyjealousy，likeonepossessed。
\"I\'llgiveyouaChristmaspresent，\"heyelled，shrilly，atthedoor，withhis。45inhishand。Eventhenhehadsomereputationasanoffhandshot。
HisfirstbulletcutaneatunderbitinMadisonLane\'srightear。Thebarrelofhisgunmovedaninch。Thenextshotwouldhavebeenthebride\'shadnotCarson，asheepman，possessedamindwithtriggerssomewhatwelloiledandinrepair。Thegunsoftheweddingpartyhadbeenhung，intheirbelts，uponnailsinthewallwhentheysatattable，asaconcessiontogoodtaste。ButCarson，withgreatpromptness，hurledhisplateofroastvenisonandfrijolesatMcRoy，spoilinghisaim。Thesecondbullet，then，onlyshatteredthewhitepetalsofaSpanishdaggerflowersuspendedtwofeetaboveRosita\'shead。
Theguestsspurnedtheirchairsandjumpedfortheirweapons。Itwasconsideredanimproperacttoshootthebrideandgroomatawedding。InaboutsixsecondsthereweretwentyorsobulletsduetobewhizzinginthedirectionofMr。McRoy。
\"I\'llshootbetternexttime，\"yelledJohnny；\"andthere\'llbeanexttime。\"Hebackedrapidlyoutthedoor。
Carson，thesheepman，spurredontoattemptfurtherexploitsbythesuccessofhisplate-throwing，wasfirsttoreachthedoor。McRoy\'sbulletfromthedarknesslaidhimlow。
Thecattlementhensweptoutuponhim，callingforvengeance，for，whiletheslaughterofasheepmanhasnotalwayslackedcondonement，itwasadecidedmis-
demeanourinthisinstance。Carsonwasinnocent；hewasnoaccompliceatthematrimonialproceedings；norhadanyoneheardhimquotetheline\"Christmascomesbutonceayear\"totheguests。
Butthesortiefailedinitsvengeance。McRoywasonhishorseandaway，shoutingbackcursesandthreatsashegallopedintotheconcealingchaparral。
ThatnightwasthebirthnightoftheFrioKid。Hebecamethe\"badman\"ofthatportionoftheState。
TherejectionofhissuitbyMissMcMullenturnedhimtoadangerousman。WhenofficerswentafterhimfortheshootingofCarson，hekilledtwoofthem，andentereduponthelifeofanoutlaw。Hebecameamarvellousshotwitheitherhand。Hewouldturnupintownsandsettlements，raiseaquarrelattheslightestopportunity，pickoffhismanandlaughattheofficersofthelaw。Hewassocool，sodeadly，sorapid，soinhumanlyblood-
thirstythatnonebutfaintattemptswereevermadetocapturehim。Whenhewasatlastshotandkilledbyalittleone-armedMexicanwhowasnearlydeadhimselffromfright，theFrioKidhadthedeathsofeighteenmenonhishead。Abouthalfofthesewerekilledinfairduelsdependinguponthequicknessofthedraw。Theotherhalfweremenwhombeassassinatedfromabsolutewantonnessandcruelty。
Manytalesaretoldalongtheborderofhisimpudentcourageanddaring。Buthewasnotoneofthebreedofdesperadoeswhohaveseasonsofgenerosityandevenofsoftness。Theysayheneverhadmercyontheobjectofhisanger。YetatthisandeveryChristmastideitiswelltogiveeachonecredit，ifitcanbedone，forwhat-
everspeckofgoodhemayhavepossessed。IftheFrioKideverdidakindlyactorfeltathrobofgenerosityinhisheartitwasonceatsuchatimeandseason，andthisisthewayithappened。
Onewhohasbeencrossedinloveshouldneverbreathetheodourfromtheblossomsoftheratamatree。Itstirsthememorytoadangerousdegree。
OneDecemberintheFriocountrytherewasaratamatreeinfullbloom，forthewinterhadbeenaswarmasspringtime。ThatwayrodetheFrioKidandhissatelliteaWco-murderer，MexicanFrank。Thekidreinedinhismustang，andsatinhissaddle，thoughtfulandgrim，withdangerouslynarrowingeyes。Therich，sweetscenttouchedhimsomewherebeneathhisiceandiron。
\"Idon\'tknowwhatI\'vebeenthinkingabout，Mex，\"
heremarkedinhisusualmilddrawl，\"tohaveforgotallaboutaChristmaspresentIgottogive。I\'mgoingtorideoverto-morrownightandshootMadisonLaneinhisownhouse。Hegotmygirl——Rositawouldhavehadmeifhehadn\'tcutintothegame。IwonderwhyI
happenedtooverlookituptonow？\"
\"Ah，shucks，Kid，\"saidMexican，\"don\'ttalkfoolish-
ness。Youknowyoucan\'tgetwithinamileofMadLane\'shouseto-morrownight。IseeoldmanAllendaybeforeyesterday，andhesaysMadisgoingtohaveChristmasdoingsathishouse。YourememberhowyoushotupthefestivitieswhenMadwasmarried，andaboutthethreatsyoumade？Don\'tyousupposeMadLane\'llkindofkeephiseyeopenforacertainMr。Kid？Youplumbmakemetired，Kid，withsuchremarks。\"
\"I\'mgoing，\"repeatedtheFrioKid，withoutheat，\"togotoMadisonLane\'sChristmasdoings，andkillhim。Ioughttohavedoneitalongtimeago。Why，Mex，justtwoweeksagoIdreamedmeandRositawasmarriedinsteadofherandhim；andwewaslivinginahouse，andIcouldseehersmilingatme，and——oh!h——l，Mex，hegother；andI\'llgethim——yes，sir，onChristmasEvehegother，andthen\'swhenI\'llgethim。\"
\"There\'sotherwaysofcommittingsuicide，\"advisedMexican。\"Whydon\'tyougoandsurrendertothesheriff？\"
\"I\'llgethim，\"saidtheKid。
ChristmasEvefellasbalmyasApril。Perhapstherewasahintoffar-awayfrostinessintheair，butittingleslikeseltzer，perfumedfaintlywithlateprairieblossomsandthemesquitegrass。
Whennightcamethefiveorsixroomsoftheranch-
housewerebrightlylit。InoneroomwasaChristmastree，fortheLaneshadaboyofthree，andadozenormoreguestswereexpectedfromthenearerranches。
AtnightfallMadisonLanecalledasideJimBelcherandthreeothercowboysemployedonhisranch。
\"Now，boys，\"saidLane，\"keepyoureyesopen。Walkaroundthehouseandwatchtheroadwell。Allofyouknowthe\'FrioKid，\'astheycallhimnow，andifyouseehim，openfireonhimwithoutaskinganyquestions。
I\'mnotafraidofhiscomingaround，butRositais。She\'sbeenafraidhe\'dcomeinonuseveryChristmassinceweweremarried。\"
Theguestshadarrivedinbuckboardsandonhorseback，andweremakingthemselvescomfortableinside。
Theeveningwentalongpleasantly。TheguestsenjoyedandpraisedRosita\'sexcellentsupper，andafter-
wardthemenscatteredingroupsabouttheroomsoronthebroad\"gallery，\"smokingandchatting。
TheChristmastree，ofcourse，delightedtheyoungsters，andaboveallweretheypleasedwhenSantaClaushimselfinmagnificentwhitebeardandfursappearedandbegantodistributethetoys。
\"It\'smypapa，\"announcedBillySampson，agedsix。
\"I\'veseenhimwear\'embefore。\"
Berkly，asheepman，anoldfriendofLane，stoppedRositaasshewaspassingbyhimonthegallery，wherehewassittingsmoking。
\"Well，Mrs。Lane，\"saidhe，\"IsupposebythisChrist-
masyou\'vegottenoverbeingafraidofthatfellowMcRoy，haven\'tyou？MadisonandIhavetalkedaboutit，youknow。\"
\"Verynearly，\"saidRosita，smiling，\"butIamstillnervoussometimes。Ishallneverforgetthatawfultimewhenhecamesoneartokillingus。\"
\"He\'sthemostcold-heartedvillainintheworld，\"saidBerkly。\"Thecitizensallalongtheborderoughttoturnoutandhunthimdownlikeawolf。\"
\"Hehascommittedawfulcrimes，\"saidRosita，but——I——don\'t——know。Ithinkthereisaspotofgoodsomewhereineverybody。Hewasnotalwaysbad——
thatIknow。\"
Rositaturnedintothehallwaybetweentherooms。
SantaClaus，inmufflingwhiskersandfurs，wasjustcomingthrough。
\"Iheardwhatyousaidthroughthewindow，Mrs。
Lane，\"hesaid。\"IwasjustgoingdowninmypocketforaChristmaspresentforyourhusband。ButI\'veleftoneforyou，instead。It\'sintheroomtoyourright。\"
\"Oh，thankyou，kindSantaClaus，\"saidRosita，brightly。
Rositawentintotheroom，whileSantaClaussteppedintothecoolerairoftheyard。
ShefoundnooneintheroombutMadison。
\"WhereismypresentthatSantasaidheleftformeinhere？\"sheasked。
\"Haven\'tseenanythinginthewayofapresent，\"saidherhusband，laughing，\"unlesshecouldhavemeantme。\"
ThenextdayGabrielRadd，theforemanoftheX0
Ranch，droppedintothepost-officeatLomaAlta。
\"Well，theFrioKid\'sgothisdoseofleadatlast，\"heremarkedtothepostmaster。
\"Thatso？How\'dithappen？\"
\"OneofoldSanchez\'sMexicansheepherdersdidit!——
thinkofit!theFrioKidkilledbvasheepherder!
TheGreasersawhimridingalongpasthiscampabouttwelveo\'clocklastnight，andwassoskeeredthatheupwithaWinchesterandlethimhaveit。FunniestpartofitwasthattheKidwasdressedallupwithwhiteAngora-
skinwhiskersandaregularSantyClausrig-outfromheadtofoot。ThinkoftheFrioKidplayingSanty!\"
ALITTLELOCALCOLOUR
ImentionedtoRivingtonthatIwasinsearchofcharacteristicNewYorkscenesandincidents——some-
thingtypical，Itoldhim，withoutnecessarilyhavingtospellthefirstsyllablewithan\"i。\"
\"Oh，foryourwritingbusiness，\"saidRivington；\"youcouldn\'thaveappliedtoabettershop。WhatIdon\'tknowaboutlittleoldNewYorkwouldn\'tmakeasonnettoasunbonnet。I\'llputyourightinthemiddleofsomuchlocalcolourthatyouwon\'tknowwhetheryouareamagazinecoverorintheerysipelasward。Whendoyouwanttobegin？\"
Rivingtonisayoung-man-about-townandaNewYorkerbybirth，preferenceandincommutability。
ItoldhimthatIwouldbegladtoaccepthisescortandguardianshipsothatImighttakenotesofManhattan\'sgrand，gloomyandpeculiaridiosyncrasies，andthatthetimeofsodoingwouldbeathisownconvenience。
\"We\'llbeginthisveryevening，\"saidRivington，him-
selfinterested，likeagoodfellow。\"Dinewithmeatseven，andthenI\'llsteer\'youupagainstmetropolitanphasessothickyou\'llhavetohaveakinetoscopetorecord\'em。\"
SoIdinedwithRivingtonpleasantlyathisclub，inForty-eleventhstreet，andthenwesetforthinpursuitoftheelusivetinctureofaffairs。
Aswecameoutoftheclubtherestoodtwomenonthesidewalknearthestepsinearnestconversation。
\"Andbywhatprocessofratiocination，\"saidoneofthem，\"doyouarriveattheconclusionthatthedivisionofsocietyintoproducingandnon-possessingclassespredicatesfailurewhencomparedwithcompetitivesystemsthataremonopolizingintendencyandresultinimicallytoindustrialevolution？\"
\"Oh，comeoffyourperch!\"saidtheotherman，whoworeglasses。\"Yourpremiseswon\'tcomeoutinthewash。Youwind-jammerswhoapplybandy-leggedtheoriestoconcretecategoricalsyllogismssendlogicalconclusionsskallybootin\'intotheinfinitesimalragbag。
Youcan\'tpullmylegwithanoldsophismwithwhiskersonit。YouquoteMarxandHyndmanandKautsky-
whatarethey？——shines!Tolstoi？——hisgarretisfullofrats。Iputittoyouoverthehome-platethattheideaofacooperativecommonwealthandanabolishmentofcompetitivesystemssimplytakestheragoffthebushandgivesmehyperesthesiaoftheroopteetoop!Theskoo-
kumhouseforyours!
Istoppedafewyardsawayandtookoutmylittlenotebook。
\"Oh，comeahead，\"saidRivington，somewhatner-
vously；\"youdon\'twanttolistentothat。\"
\"Whyman，\"Iwhispered，\"thisisjustwhatIdowanttohear。Theseslangtypesareamongyourcity\'smostdistinguishingfeatures。IsthistheBoweryvariety？
Ireallymusthearmoreofit。\"
\"IfIfollowyou，\"saidthemanwhohadspokenflrst，\"youdonotbelieveitpossibletoreorganizesocietyonthebasisofcommoninterest？\"
\"Shinnyonyourownside!\"saidthemanwithglasses。
\"Youneverheardanysuchmusicfrommyfoghorn。
WhatIsaidwasthatIdidnotbelieveitpracticablejustnow。Theguyswithwadsarenotintheframeofmindtoslackuponthemazuma，andthemanwiththeportabletinbanquetingcanisterisn\'texactlyreadytojointheBibleclass。YoucanbetyourvariegatedsocksthatthesituationisallspifflicatedupfromtheBatterytobreakfast!WhatthecountryneedsisforsomebullyoldblokelikeCobdenorsomewiseguylikeoldBenFrank-
lintosashayuptothefrontandbiffthenigger\'sheadwiththebaseball。Doyoucatchmysmoke？What？\"
Rivingtonpulledmebythearmimpatiently。
\"Pleasecomeon，\"hesaid。\"Let\'sgoseesomething。
Thisisn\'twhatyouwant。\"
\"Indeed，itis，\"Isaidresisting。\"Thistoughtalkistheverystuffthatcounts。Thereisapicturesquenessaboutthespeechofthelowerorderofpeoplethatisquiteunique。DidyousaythatthisistheBoweryvarietyofslang？\"
\"Oh，well，\"saidRivington，givingitup，\"I\'lltellyoustraight。That\'soneofourcollegeprofessorstalking。
Herandownforadayortwoattheclub。It\'sasortoffadwithhimlatelytouseslanginhisconversation。
Hethinksitimproveslanguage。ThemanheistalkingtoisoneofNewYork\'sfamoussocialeconomists。Nowwillyoucomeon。Youcan\'tusethat，youknow。\"
\"No，\"Iagreed；\"Ican\'tusethat。WouldyoucallthattypicalofNewYork？\"
\"Ofcoursenot，\"saidRivington，withasighofrelief。
\"I\'mgladyouseethedifference。ButifyouwanttoheartherealoldtoughBoweryslangI\'lltakeyoudownwhereyou\'llgetyourfillofit。\"
\"Iwouldlikeit，\"Isaid；\"thatis，ifit\'stherealthing。
I\'veoftenreaditinbooks，butIneverheardit。Doyouthinkitwillbedangeroustogounprotectedamongthosecharacters？
\"Oh，no，\"saidRivington；\"notatthistimeofnight。
Totellthetruth，Ihaven\'tbeenalongtheBoweryinalongtime，butIknowitaswellasIdoBroadway。We\'lllookupsomeofthetypicalBoweryboysandgetthemtotalk。It\'llbeworthyourwhile。Theytalkapeculiardialectthatyouwon\'thearany-whereelseonearth。\"
RivingtonandIwenteastinaForty-secondstreetcarandthensouthontheThirdavenueline。
AtHoustonstreetwegotoffandwalked。
\"WearenowonthefamousBowery，\"saidRivington；
\"theBowerycelebratedinsongandstory。\"
Wepassedblockafterblockof\"gents\'\"furnishingstores——thewindowsfullofshirtswithpricesattachedandcuffsinside。Inotherwindowswerenecktiesandnoshirts。Peoplewalkedupanddownthesidewalks。
\"Insomeways，\"saidI，\"thisremindsmeofKoko-
mono，Ind。，duringthepeach-cratingseason。\"
Rivingtonwasnettled。
\"Stepintooneofthesesaloonsorvaudevilleshows，\"
saidhe，\"withalargerollofmoney，andseehowquicklytheBowerywillsustainitsreputation。\"
\"Youmakeimpossibleconditions，\"saidI，coldly。
ByandbyRivingtonstoppedandsaidwewereintheheartoftheBowery。TherewasapolicemanonthecornerwhomRivingtonknew。
\"Hallo，Donahue!\"saidmyguide。\"Howgoesit？
MyfriendandIaredownthiswaylookingupabitoflocalcolour。He\'sanxioustomeetoneoftheBowerytypes。Can\'tyouputusontosomethinggenuineinthatline——somethingthat\'sgotthecolour，youknow？\"
PolicemanDonahueturnedhimselfaboutponder-
ously，hisfloridfacefullofgood-nature。Hepointedwithhisclubdownthestreet。
\"Sure!\"hesaidhuskily。\"HerecomesaladnowthatwasbornontheBoweryandknowseveryinchofit。Ifhe\'severbeenaboveBleeckerstreethe\'skeptittohimself。\"
Amanabouttwenty-eightortwenty-nine，withasmoothface，wassaunteringtowarduswithhishandsinhiscoatpockets。PolicemanDonahuestoppedhimwithacourteouswaveofhisclub。
\"Evening，Kerry，\"hesaid。\"Here\'sacoupleofgents，friendsofmine，thatwanttohearyouspielsomethingabouttheBowery。Canyoureel\'emoffafewyards？\"
\"Certainly，Donahue，\"saidtheyoungman，pleas-
antly。\"Goodevening，gentlemen，\"hesaidtous，withapleasantsmile。Donahuewalkedoffonhisbeat。
\"Thisisthegoods，\"whisperedRivington，nudgingmewithhiselbow。\"Lookathisjaw!\"
\"Say，cull，\"saidRivington，pushingbackhishat，wot\'sdoin\'？Meandmyfriend\'stakingalookdowndeoldline——see？Decoppertippedusoffdatyouwaswisetodebowery。Isdatright？\"
IcouldnothelpadmiringRivington\'spowerofadapt-
inghimselftohissurroundings。
\"Donahuewasright，\"saidtheyoungman，frankly；
\"IwasbroughtupontheBowery。Ihavebeennews-
boy，teamster，pugilist，memberofanorganizedbandof\'toughs，\'bartender，anda\'sport\'invariousmean-
ingsoftheword。TheexperiencecertainlywarrantsthesuppositionthatIhaveatleastapassingacquaintancewithafewphasesofBowerylife。IwillbepleasedtoplacewhateverknowledgeandexperienceIhaveattheserviceofmyfriendDonahue\'sfriends。\"
Rivingtonseemedillatease。
\"Isay，\"hesaid——somewhatentreatingly，\"Ithought——
you\'renotstringingus，areyou？Itisn\'tjustthekindoftalkweexpected。Youhaven\'tevensaid\'Hullygee!\'
once。DoyoureallybelongontheBowery？\"
\"Iamafraid，\"saidtheBoweryboy，smilingly，\"thatatsometimeyouhavebeenenticedintooneofthedivesofliteratureandhadthecounterfeitcoinoftheBowerypasseduponyou。The\'argot\'towhichyoudoubtlessreferwastheinventionofcertainofyourliterary\'dis-
coverers\'whoinvadedtheunknownwildsbelowThirdavenueandputstrangesoundsintothemouthsoftheinhabitants。Safeintheirhomesfartothenorthandwest，thecredulousreaderswhowerebeguiledbythisnew\'dialect\'perusedandbelieved。LikeMarcoPoloandMungoPark——pioneersindeed，butambitioussoulswhocouldnotdrawthelineofdemarcationbetweendis-
coveryandinvention——theliterarybonesoftheseexplorersaredottingthetracklesswastesofthesub-
way。WhileitistruethatafterthepublicationofthemythicallanguageattributedtothedwellersalongtheBowerycertainofitspatphrasesandaptmetaphorswereadoptedand，toalimitedextent，usedinthislocality，itwasbecauseourpeoplearepromptinassimilatingwhateveristotheircommercialadvantage。Tothetouristswhovisitedournewlydiscoveredclime，andwhoexpectedarealizationoftheirliteraryguidebooks，theysuppliedthedemandsofthemarket。
\"ButperhapsIamwanderingfromthequestion。InwhatwaycanIassistyou，gentlemen？Ibegyouwillbelievethatthehospitalityofthestreetisextendedtoall。Thereare，Iregrettosay，manycatchpennyplacesofentertainment，butIcannotconceivethattheywouldenticeyou。\"
IfeltRivingtonleansomewhatheavilyagainstme。
\"Say!\"heremarked，withuncertainutterance；\"comeandhaveadrinkwithus。\"
\"Thankyou，butIneverdrink。Ifindthatalcohol，eveninthesmallestquantities，alterstheperspective。
AndImustpreservemyperspective，forIamstudyinc，theBowery。Ihavelivedinitnearlythirtyyears，andIamjustbeginningtounderstanditsheartbeats。Itislikeagreatriverfedbyahundredalienstreams。Eachinfluxbringsstrangeseedsonitsflood，strangesiltandweeds，andnowandthenaflowerofrarepromise。Toconstruethisriverrequiresamanwhocanbuilddykesagainsttheoverflow，whoisanaturalist，ageologist，ahumanitarian，adiverandastrongswimmer。IlovemyBowery。Itwasmycradleandismyinspiration。
Ihavepublishedonebook。Thecriticshavebeenkind。
Iputmyheartinit。Iamwritinganother，intowhichIhopetoputbothheartandbrain。Considermeyourguide，gentlemen。IstherearythingIcantakeyoutosee，anyplacetowhichIcanconductyou？\"
IwasafraidtolookatRivingtonexceptwithoneeye。
\"Thanks，\"saidRivington。\"Wewerelookingup……thatis……myfriend……confoundit；it\'sagainstallprecedent，youknow……awfullyobliged……justthesame。\"
\"Incase，\"saidourfriend，\"youwouldliketomeetsomeofourBoweryyoungmenIwouldbepleasedtohaveyouvisitthequartersofourEastSideKappaDeltaPhiSociety，onlytwoblockseastofhere。\"
\"Awfullysorry，\"saidRivington，\"butmyfriend\'sgotmeonthejumpto-nioht。He\'saterrorwhenhe\'soutafterlocalcolour。Now，there\'snothingIwouldlikebetterthantodropinattheKappaDeltaPhi，but——
someothertime!\"
Wesaidourfarewellsandboardedahome-boundcar。
WehadarabbitonupperBroadway，andthenIpartedwithRivingtononastreetcorner。
\"Well，anyhow，\"saidhe，bracedandrecovered，\"itcouldn\'thavehappenedanywherebutinlittleoldNewYork。\"
Whichtosaytheleast，wastypicalofRivington。
GEORGIA\'SRULING
IfyoushouldchancetovisittheGeneralLandOffice，stepintothedraughtsmen\'sroomandasktobeshownthemapofSaladoCounty。AleisurelyGerman——pos-
siblyoldKampferhimself——willbringittoyou。Itwillbefourfeetsquare，onheavydrawing-cloth。Theletteringandthefigureswillbebeautifullyclearanddistinct。
Thetitlewillbeinsplendid，undecipherableGermantext，ornamentedwithclassicTeutonicdesigns——verylikelyCeresorPomonaleaningagainsttheinitialletterswithcornucopiasventinggrapesandwieners。Youmusttellhimthatthisisnotthemapyouwishtosee；
thathewillkindlybringyouitsofficialpredecessor。
Hewillthensay，\"Ach，so!\"andbringoutamaphalfthesizeofthefirst，dim，old，tattered，andfaded。
BylookingcarefullynearitsnorthwestcorneryouwillpresentlycomeupontheworncontoursofChiquitoRiver，and，maybe，ifyoureyesaregood，discernthesilentwitnesstothisstory。
TheCommissioneroftheLandOfficewasoftheoldstyle；hisantiquecourtesywastooformalforhisday。
Hedressedinfineblack，andtherewasasuggestionofRomandraperyinhislongcoat-skirts。Hiscollarswere\"undetached\"(blamehaberdasheryfortheword)；histiewasanarrow，funerealstrip，tiedinthesameknotaswerehisshoe-strings。Hisgrayhairwasatrifletoolongbehind，buthekeptitsmoothandorderly。Hisfacewasclean-shaven，liketheoldstatesmen\'s。Mostpeoplethoughtitasternface，butwhenitsofficialexpressionwasoff，afewhadseenaltogetheradifferentcountenance。
Especiallytenderandgentleithadappearedtothosewhowereabouthimduringthelastillnessofhisonlychild。
TheCommissionerhadbeenawidowerforyears，andhislife，outsidehisofficialduties，hadbeensodevotedtolittleGeorgiathatpeoplespokeofitasatouchingandadmirablething。Hewasareservedman，anddignifiedalmosttoausterity，butthechildhadcomebelowitallandresteduponhisveryheart，sothatshescarcelymissedthemother\'slovethathadbeentakenaway。Therewasawonderfulcompanionshipbetweenthem，forshehadmanyofhisownways，beingthoughtfulandseriousbeyondheryears。
Oneday，whileshewaslyingwiththefeverburningbrightlyinherchecks，shesaidsuddenly:
\"Papa，IwishIcoulddosomethinggoodforawholelotofchildren!\"
\"Whatwouldyouliketodo，dear？\"askedtheCom-
Missioner。\"Givethemaparty？\"
\"Oh，Idon\'tmeanthosekind。Imeanpoorchildrenwhohaven\'thomes，andaren\'tlovedandcaredforasIam。Itellyouwhat，papa!\"
\"What，myownchild？\"
\"IfIshouldn\'tgetwell，I\'llleavethemyou——notgiveyou，butjustlendyou，foryoumustcometomammaandmewhenyoudietoo。Ifyoucanfindtime，wouldn\'tyoudosomethingtohelpthem，ifIaskyou，papa？\"
\"Hush，hushdear，dearchild，\"saidtheCommissioner，holdingherhotlittlehandagainsthischeek；\"you\'llgetwellrealsoon，andyouandIwillseewhatwecandoforthemtogether。\"
Butinwhatsoeverpathsofbenevolence，thusvaguelypremeditated，theCommissionermighttread，hewasnottohavethecompanyofhisbeloved。Thatnightthelittlefrailbodygrewsuddenlytootiredtostrugglefurther，andGeorgia\'sexitwasmadefromthegreatstagewhenshehadscarcelybeguntospeakherlittlepiecebeforethefootlights。Buttheremustbeastagemanagerwhounderstands。Shehadgiventhecuetotheonewhowastospeakafterher。
Aweekaftershewaslaidaway，theCommissionerreappearedattheoffice，alittlemorecourteous，alittlepalerandsterner，withtheblackfrock-coathangingalittlemorelooselyfromhistallfigure。
Hisdeskwaspiledwithworkthathadaccumulatedduringthefourheartbreakingweeksofhisabsence。Hischiefclerkhaddonewhathecould，buttherewereques-
tionsoflaw，offinejudicialdecisionstobemadeconcern-
ingtheissueofpatents，themarketingandleasingofschoollands，theclassificationintograzing，agricultural，watered，andtimbered，ofnewtractstobeopenedtosettlers。
TheCommissionerwenttoworksilentlyandob-
stinately，puttingbackhisgriefasfaraspossible，forcinghismindtoattackthecomplicatedandimportantbusi-
nessofhisoffice。Ontheseconddayafterhisreturnhecalledtheporter，pointedtoaleather-coveredchairthatstoodnearhisown，andordereditremovedtoalumber-
roomatthetopofthebuilding。InthatchairGeorgiawouldalwayssitwhenshecametotheofficeforhimofafternoons。
Astimepassed，theCommissionerseemedtogrowmoresilent，solitary，andreserved。Anewphaseofminddevelopedinhim。Hecouldnotendurethepresenceofachild。Oftenwhenaclatteringyoungsterbelongingtooneoftheclerkswouldcomechatteringintothebigbusiness-roomadjoininghislittleapartment，theCom-
missionerwouldstealsoftlyandclosethedoor。Hewouldalwayscrossthestreettoavoidmeetingtheschool-
childrenwhentheycamedancingalonginhappygroupsuponthesidewalk，andhisfirmmouthwouldcloseintoamereline。
Itwasnearlythreemonthsaftertherainshadwashedthelastdeadflower-petalsfromthemoundabovelittleGeorgiawhenthe\"land-shark\"firmofHamlinandAveryfiledpapersuponwhattheyconsideredthe\"fattest\"
vacancyoftheyear。
Itshouldnotbesupposedthatallwhoweretermed\"land-sharks\"deservedthename。Manyofthemwerereputablemenofgoodbusinesscharacter。SomeofthemcouldwalkintothemostaugustcouncilsoftheStateandsay:\"Gentlemen，wewouldliketohavethis，andthat，andmattersgothus。\"But，nexttoathreeyears\'droughtandtheboll-worm，theActualSettlerhatedtheLand-shark。Theland-sharkhauntedtheLandOffice，whereallthelandrecordswerekept，andhunted\"vacancies\"——thatis，tractsofunappro-
priatedpublicdomain，generallyinvisibleupontheofficialmaps，butactuallyexisting\"upontheground。\"
ThelawentitledanyonepossessingcertainStatescriptofilebyvirtueofsameuponanylandnotpreviouslylegallyappropriated。Mostofthescripwasnowinthehandsoftheland-sharks。Thus，atthecostofafewhundreddollars，theyoftensecuredlandsworthasmanythousands。Naturally，thesearchfor\"vacancies\"waslively。
Butoften——veryoften——thelandtheythussecured，thoughlegally\"unappropriated，\"wouldbeoccupiedbyhappyandcontentedsettlers，whohadlabouredforyearstobuilduptheirhomes，onlytodiscoverthattheirtitleswereworthless，andtoreceiveperemptorynoticetoquit。Thuscameaboutthebitterandnotunjustifiablehatredfeltbythetoilingsettlerstowardtheshrewdandseldommercifulspeculatorswhosooftenturnedthemforthdestituteandhomelessfromtheirfruitlesslabours。
Thehistoryofthestateteemswiththeirantagonism。
Mr。Land-sharkseldomshowedhisfaceon\"locations\"
fromwhichheshouldhavetoejecttheunfortunatevictimsofamonstrouslytangledlandsystem，butlethisemis-
saxiesdothework。Therewasleadineverycabin，mouldedintoballsforhim；manyofhisbrothershadenrichedthegrasswiththeirblood。Thefaultofitalllayfarback。
Whenthestatewasyoung，shefelttheneedofattract-
ingnewcomers，andofrewardingthosepioneersalreadywithinherborders。Yearafteryearsheissuedlandscrip——Headrights，Bounties，VeteranDonations，Confeder-
ates；andtorailroads，irrigationcompanies，colonies，andtillersofthesoilgalore。Allrequiredofthegranteewasthatheoritshouldhavethescripproperlysurveyeduponthepublicdomainbythecountyordistrictsurveyor，andthelandthusappropriatedbecamethepropertyofhimorit，orhisoritsheirsandassigns，forever。
Inthosedays——andhereiswherethetroublebegan-thestate\'sdomainwaspracticallyinexhaustible，andtheoldsurveyors，withprincely——yea，evenWesternAmerican——liberality，gavegoodmeasureandover-
flowing。Oftenthejovialmanofmetesandboundswoulddispensealtogetherwiththetripodandchain。
Mountedonaponythatcouldcoversomethingneara\"vara\"atastep，withapocketcompasstodirecthiscourse，hewouldtrotoutasurveybycountingthebeatofhispony\'shoofs，markhiscorners，andwriteouthisfieldnoteswiththecomplacencyproducedbyanactofdutywellperformed。Sometimes——andwhocouldblamethesurveyor？——whentheponywas\"feelinghisoats，\"hemightstepalittlehigherandfarther，andinthatcasethebeneficiaryofthescripmightgetathousandortwomoreacresinhissurveythanthescripcalledfor。
Butlookattheboundlessleaguesthestatehadtospare!
However，nooneeverhadtocomplainoftheponyunder-
stepping。Nearlyeveryoldsurveyinthestatecon-
tainedanexcessofland。
Inlateryears，whenthestatebecamemorepopulous，andlandvaluesincreased，thiscarelessworkentailedincalculabletrouble，endlesslitigation，aperiodofriotousland-grabbing，andnolittlebloodshed。Theland-
sharksvoraciouslyattackedtheseexcessesintheoldsurveys，andfileduponsuchportionswithnewscripasunappropriatedpublicdomain。Wherevertheidenti-
ficationsoftheoldtractswerevague，andthecornerswerenottobeclearlyestablished，theLandOfficewouldrecognizethenewerlocationsasvalid，andissuetitletothelocators。Herewasthegreatesthardshiptobefound。
Theseoldsurveys，takenfromthepickoftheland，werealreadynearlyalloccupiedbyunsuspectingandpeacefulsettlers，andthustheirtitlesweredemolished，andthechoicewasplacedbeforethemeithertobuytheirlandoveratadoublepriceortovacateit，withtheirfamiliesandpersonalbelongings，immediately。Landlocatorssprangupbyhundreds。Thecountrywasheldupandsearchedfor\"vacancies\"atthepointofacompass。
Hundredsofthousandsofdollars\'worthofsplendidacreswerewrestedfromtheirinnocentpurchasersandholders。Therebeganavasthegiraofevictedsettlersintatteredwagons；goingnowhere，cursinginjustice，stunned，purposeless，homeless，hopeless。Theirchildrenbegantolookuptothemforbread，andcry。
ItwasinconsequenceoftheseconditionsthatHamil-
tonandAveryhadfileduponastripoflandaboutamilewideandthreemileslong，comprisingabouttwothou-
sandacres，itbeingtheexcessovercomplementoftheEliasDennythree-leaguesurveyonChiquitoRiver，inoneofthemiddle-westerncounties。Thistwo-thousand-
acrebodyoflandwasassertedbythemtobevacantland，andimproperlyconsideredapartoftheDennysurvey。
TheybasedthisassertionandtheirclaimuponthelanduponthedemonstratedfactsthatthebeginningcorneroftheDennysurveywasplainlyidentified；thatitsfieldnotescalledtorunwest5，760varas，andthencalledforChiquitoRiver；thenceitransouth，withthemeanders——andsoon——andthattheChiquitoRiverwas，ontheground，fullyamilefartherwestfromthepointreachedbycourseanddistance。Tosumup:thereweretwothousandacresofvacantlandbetweentheDennysurveyproperandChiquitoRiver。
OneswelteringdayinJulytheCommissionercalledforthepapersinconnectionwiththisnewlocation。
Theywerebrought，andheaped，afootdeep，uponhisdesk——fieldnotes，statements，sketches，affidavits，connectinglines-documentsofeverydescriptionthatshrewdnessandmoneycouldcalltotheaidofHamlinandAvery。
ThefirmwaspressingtheCommissionertoissueapatentupontheirlocation。Theypossesedinsideinfor-
mationconcerninganewrailroadthatwouldprobablypasssomewherenearthisland。
TheGeneralLandOfficewasverystillwhiletheCom-
missionerwasdelvingintotheheartofthemassofevi-
dence。Thepigeonscouldbeheardontheroofoftheold，castle-likebuilding，cooingandfretting。Theclerksweredroningeverywhere，scarcelypretendingtoearntheirsalaries。Eachlittlesoundechoedhollowandloudfromthebare，stone-flaggedfloors，theplasteredwalls，andtheiron-joistedceiling。Theimpalpable，perpetuallime-
stonedustthatneversettled，whitenedalongstreamerofsunlightthatpiercedthetatteredwindow-awning。
ItseemedthatHamlinandAveryhadbuildedwell。
TheDennysurveywascarelesslymade，evenforacare-
lessperiod。Itsbeginningcornerwasidenticalwiththatofawell-definedoldSpanishgrant，butitsothercallsweresinfullyvague。Thefieldnotescontainednootherobjectthatsurvived——notree，nonaturalobjectsaveChiquitoRiver，anditwasamilewrongthere。
Accordingtoprecedent，theOfficewouldbejustifiedingivingititscomplementbycourseanddistance，andconsideringtheremaindervacantinsteadofamereexcess。
TheActualSettlerwasbesiegingtheofficewithwildprotestsinre。Havingthenoseofapointerandtheeyeofahawkfortheland-shark，hehadobservedhismyrmi-
donsrunningthelinesuponhisground。Makinginquiries，helearnedthatthespoilerhadattackedhishome，andhelefttheploughinthefurrowandtookhispeninhand。
OneoftheproteststheCommissionerreadtwice。Itwasfromawoman，awidow，thegranddaughterofEliasDennyhimself。Shetoldhowhergrandfatherhadsoldmostofthesurveyyearsbeforeatatrivialprice——landthatwasnowaprincipalityinextentandvalue。Hermotherhadalsosoldapart，andsheherselfhadsuc-
ceededtothiswesternportion，alongChiquitoRiver。
Muchofitshehadbeenforcedtopartwithinordertolive，andnowsheownedonlyaboutthreehundredacres，onwhichshehadherhome。Herletterwoundupratherpathetically:
\"I\'vegoteightchildren，theoldestfifteenyears。I
workalldayandhalfthenighttotillwhatlittlelandIcanandkeepusinclothesandbooks。Iteachmychildrentoo。Myneighboursisallpoorandhasbigfamilies。
Thedroughtkillsthecropseverytwoorthreeyearsandthenwehashardtimestogetenoughtoeat。Thereistenfamiliesonthislandwhattheland-sharksistryingtorobusof，andallofthemgottitlesfromme。Isoldtothemcheap，andtheyaintpaidoutyet，butpartofthemis，andiftheirlandshouldbetookfromthemIwoulddie。Mygrandfatherwasanhonestman，andhehelpedtobuildupthisstate，andhetaughthischildrentobehonest，andhowcouldImakeituptothemwhoboughtme？Mr。Commissioner，ifyouletthemland-sharkstaketherooffromovermychildrenandthelittlefromthemastheyhastoliveon，whoeveragaincallsthisstategreatoritsgovernmentjustwillhavealieintheirmouths\"
TheCommissionerlaidthisletterasidewithasigh。
Many，manysuchlettershehadreceived。Hehadneverbeenhurtbythem，norhadheeverfeltthattheyappealedtohimpersonally。Hewasbutthestate\'sservant，andmustfollowitslaws。Andyet，somehow，thisreflectiondidnotalwayseliminateacertainresponsiblefeelingthathunguponhim。Ofallthestate\'sofficershewassupremestinhisdepartment，notevenexceptingtheGovernor。Broad，generallandlawshefollowed，itwastrue，buthehadawidelatitudeinparticularramifica-
tions。Ratherthanlaw，whathefollowedwasRulings:
OfficeRulingsandprecedents。Inthecomplicatedandnewquestionsthatwerebeingengenderedbythestate\'sdevelopmenttheCommissioner\'srulingwasrarelyappealedfrom。Eventhecourtssustaineditwhenitsequitywasapparent。
TheCommissionersteppedtothedoorandspoketoaclerkintheotherroom——spokeashealwaysdid，asifhewereaddressingaprinceoftheblood:
\"Mr。Weldon，willyoubekindenoughtoaskMr。
Ashe，thestateschool-landappraiser，topleasecometomyofficeassoonasconvenient？\"
Ashecamequicklyfromthebigtablewherehewasarranginghisreports。
\"Mr。Ashe，\"saidtheCommissioner，\"youworkedalongtheChiquitoRiver，inSaladoColinty，duringyourlasttrip，Ibelieve。DoyourememberanythingoftheEliasDennythree-leaguesurvey？\"
\"Yes，sir，Ido，\"theblunt，breezy，surveyoranswered。
\"IcrosseditonmywaytoBlockH，onthenorthsideofit。TheroadrunswiththeChiquitoRiver，alongthevalley。TheDennysurveyfrontsthreemilesontheChiquito。\"
\"Itisclaimed，\"continuedthecommissioner，\"thatitfailstoreachtheriverbyasmuchasamile。\"
Theappraisershruggedhisshoulder。HewasbybirthandinstinctanActualSettler，andthenaturalfoeoftheland-shark。
\"Ithasalwaysbeenconsideredtoextendtotheriver，\"
hesaid，dryly。
\"ButthatisnotthepointIdesiredtodiscuss，\"saidtheCommissioner。\"Whatkindofcountryisthisvalleyportionof(letussay，then)theDennytract？\"
ThespiritoftheActualSettlerbeamedinAshe\'sface。
\"Beautiful，\"hesaid，withenthusiasm。\"Valleyaslevelasthisfloor，withjustalittleswellon，likethesea，andrichascream。Justenoughbrakestoshelterthecattleinwinter。Blackloamysoilforsixfeet，andthenclay。Holdswater。Adozennicelittlehousesonit，withwindmillsandgardens。Peopleprettypoor，I
guess——toofarfrommarket——butcomfortable。Neversawsomanykidsinmylife。\"
\"Theyraiseflocks？\"inquiredtheCommissioner。
\"Ho，ho!Imeantwo-leggedkids，\"lauchedthesurveyor；\"two-legged，andbare-legged，andtow-headed。\"
\"Children!oh，children!\"musedtheCommissioner，asthoughanewviewhadopenedtohim；\"theyraisechildren!
\"It\'salonesomecountry，Commissioner，\"saidthesurveyor。\"Canyoublame\'em？\"
\"Isuppose，\"continuedtheCommissioner，slowly，asonecarefullypursuesdeductionsfromanew，stupendoustheory，\"notallofthemaretow-headed。Itwouldnotbeunreasonable，Mr。Ashe，Iconjecture，tobelievethataportionofthemhavebrown，orevenblack，hair。\"
\"Brownandblack，sure，\"saidAshe；\"alsored。\"
\"Nodoubt，\"saidtheCommissioner。\"Well，Ithankyouforyourcourtesyininformingme，Mr。Ashe。Iwillnotdetainyouanylongerfromyourduties。\"
Later，intheafternoon，cameHamlinandAvery，big，handsome，genial，saunteringmen，clothedinwhiteduckandlow-cutshoes。Theypermeatedthewholeofficewithanauraofdebonairprosperity。Theypassedamongtheclerksandleftawakeofabbreviatedgivennamesandfatbrowncigars。
Thesewerethearistocracyoftheland-sharks，whowentinforbigthings。Fullofsereneconfidenceinthem-
selves，therewasnocorporation，nosyndicate，norail-
roadcompanyorattorneygeneraltoobigforthemtotackle。Thepeculiarsmokeoftheirrare，fatbrowncigarswastobeperceivedinthesanctumofeverydepartmentofstate，ineverycommittee-roomoftheLegislature，ineverybankparlourandeveryprivatecaucus-roominthestateCapital。Alwayspleasant，neverinahurry，inseemingtopossessunlimitedleisure，peoplewonderedwhentheygavetheirattentiontothemanyaudaciousenterprisesinwhichtheywereknnowntobeengaged。
ByandbythetwodroppedcarelesslyintotheCom-
missioner\'sroomandreclinedlazilyinthebig，leather-
upholsteredarm-chairs。Theydrawledagood-naturedcomplaintoftheweather，andHamlintoldtheCom-
missioneranexcellentstoryhehadamassedthatmorn-
ingfromtheSecretaryofState。
ButtheCommissionerknewwhytheywerethere。Hehadhalfpromisedtorenderadecisionthatdayupontheirlocation。
ThechiefclerknowbroughtinabatchofduplicatecertificatesfortheCommissionertosign。Ashetracedhissprawlingsignature，\"HollisSummerfield，Comr。
Genl。LandOffice，\"oneachone，thechiefclerkstood，deftlyremovingthemandapplyingtheblotter。
\"Inotice，\"saidthechiefclerk，\"you\'vebeengoingthroughthatSaladoCountylocation。Kampferismak-
inganewmapofSalado，andIbelieveisplattinginthatsectionofthecountynow。\"
\"Iwillseeit，\"saidtheComissioner。Afewmomentslaterhewenttothedraughtsmen\'sroom。
AsheenteredhesawfiveorsixofthedraughtsmengroupedaboutKampfer\'sdesk，garglingawayateachotherinpectoralGerman，andgazingatsomethingthere-
upon。AttheCommissioner\'sapproachtheyscatteredtotheirseveralplaces。Kampfer，awizenedlittleGer-
man，withlong，frizzledringletsandawateryeye，begantostammerforthsomesortofanapology，theCommis-
sionerthought，forthecongregationofhisfellowsabouthisdesk。
\"Nevermind，\'saidtheCommissioner，\"Iwishtoseethemapyouaremaking\"；and，passingaroundtheoldGerman，seatedhimselfuponthehighdraughtsman\'sstool。KampfercontinuedtobreakEnglishintrvingtoexplain。
\"HerrGommissioner，IassureyoublentysatIhafnotitbremeditated——satitwass——satititselfmake。
Lookyou!fromsefieldnoteswassitblatted——bleasetoobservesecalls:South，10degreeswest050varas；
south，10degreeseast300varas；south，100；south，9
west，200；south，40degreeswest400——andsoon。
