“I’d like to see it,” said Bob.

“Sometime you get to Durham, ask for me,” invited Samuels.

“Well, I see how you feel.  If I were in your fix, I’d probably fight it too, but I’m morally certain they’d get you in the courts.  And it is a tremendous expense for nothing.”

“Well, they’ve got to git me off’n here first,” threatened Samuels.

Bob averted the impending anger with a soft chuckle.

“I wouldn’t want the job!” said he.  “But if they had the courts with them, they’d get you off.  You can drive those rangers up a tree quick enough ("You know that isn’t so!” cried Amy at the subsequent recital.), but this is a Federal matter, and they’ll send troops against you, if necessary.”

“My lawyer——­” began Samuels.

“May be dead right, or he may enjoy a legal battle at the other man’s expense,” put in Bob.  “The previous cases are all dead against him; and they’re the only ammunition.”

“It’s a-gittin’ cold,” said Samuels, rising abruptly.  “Let’s git inside!”

Bob followed him to the main room of the cabin where the mountaineer lit a tallow candle stuck in the neck of a bottle.

“Oh, pa, come to bed!” called a sleepy voice, “and quit your palavering.”

“Shet up!” commanded Samuels, setting the candle in the middle of the table, and seating himself by it.  “Ain’t there no decisions the other way?”

“I’m no lawyer,” Bob pointed out, dropping into a stool on the other side, so that the candle stood between them, “and my opinion is of no value”—­the old man grunted what might have been assent, or a mere indication of attention—­“but as far as I know, there have been none.  I know all the leading cases, I think” he added.

“So they can put me off, and leave all these other fellows, who are worse off than I be in keepin’ up with what the law wants!” cried Samuels.

“I hope they’ll begin action against every doubtful claim,” said Bob soberly.

“It may be the law to take away my homestead, but it ain’t justice,” stated the old man.

Bob ventured his first aggressive movement.

“Did you ever read the Homestead Law?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, as you remember, that law states pretty plainly the purpose of the Homestead Act.  It is to provide, out of the public lands, for any citizen not otherwise provided, with one hundred and sixty acres as a farm to cultivate or a homestead on which to live.  When a man takes that land for any other purpose whatever, he commits an injustice; and when that land is recalled to the public domain, that injustice is righted, not another committed.”

“Injustice!” challenged the old man; “against what, for heaven’s sake!”

“Against the People,” replied Bob firmly.

“I suppose these big lumber dealers need a home and a farm too!” sneered Samuels.

“Because they did wrong is no reason you should.”