“Well,” said Albert, “if Whisky Jim will sell out, why not get him to hold it for me for three weeks until I am of age?”

“He wouldn’t sell, but he has forfeited it.  He neglected to stay on it.  Has been away from it more than thirty days.  You have a perfect right to jump it and pre-empt it.  I am well acquainted with Mr. Shamberson, the brother-in-law of the receiver.  Very well acquainted.  He is a land-office lawyer, and they do say that a fee of fifty dollars to him will put the case through, right or wrong.  But in this case we should have right on our side, and should make a nice thing.  A very nice thing, indeed.  And the town would be relieved of a dissipated man, and you could then carry out your plan of establishing a village library here.”

“But,” said Albert between his teeth, “I hear that the reason Jim didn’t come back to take possession of his claim at the end of his thirty days is his sickness.  He’s sick at the Sod Tavern.”

“Well, you see, he oughtn’t to have neglected his claim so long before he was taken sick.  Not at all.  Besides, he doesn’t add anything to the moral character of a town.  I value the moral character of a settler above all I do, indeed.  The moral character.  If he gets that claim, he’ll get rich off my labors, and be one of our leading citizens.  Quite a leading citizen.  It is better that you should have it.  A great deal better.  Better all round.  The depot will be on one corner of the east forty of that claim, probably.  Now, you shouldn’t neglect your chance to get on.  You shouldn’t, really.  This is the road to wealth and influence.  The road to wealth.  And influence.  You can found your school there.  You’ll have money and land.  Money to build with.  Land on which to build.  You will have both.”

“You want me to swear that I am twenty-one when I am not, to bribe the receiver, and to take a claim and all the improvements on it from a sick man?” said Albert with heat.

“You put things wrong.  Quite so.  I want to help you to start.  The claim is now open.  It belongs to Government, with all improvements.  Improvements go with the claim.  If you don’t take it, somebody will.  It is a pity for you to throw away your chances.”

“My chances of being a perjured villain and a thief!  No, thank you, sir,” said the choleric Charlton, getting very red in the face, and stalking out of the room.

“Such notions!” cried his mother.  “Just like his father over again.  His father threw away all his chances just for notions.  I tell you, Plausaby, he never got any of those notions from me.  Not one.”

“No, I don’t think he did,” said Plausaby.  “I don’t think he did.  Not at all.  Not in the least.”

CHAPTER XI

ABOUT SEVERAL THINGS.