this morning--when I did, I hurried through with my chores and
came right over here. It's a stunner to find that Joe's gone, now, in
addition to all the rest, but we must keep a stiff upper lip. Fact is,
I'm to blame for not thinking of this thing six weeks--yes, three
months ago. I ought to have thought of it, children," he swept us all
with a compassionate glance, "the day that your father died. I'd be
willing to bet a big sum, if I was a betting man--which I'm thankful
to say that I ain't--that Jake Horton thought of it, and has kept it
well in mind all along; he ain't the man to overlook such a thing as
that." Wiping his perplexed face with the red silk handkerchief that
he always kept in his hat for that purpose, he continued, desperately:
"This claim was taken up, lived on, built on, notices for proving up
by Ralph C. Gordon. Ralph C. Gordon! Wal'," he ran his fingers again
through his iron-gray hair, making it stand more defiantly upright
than ever, "there ain't no Ralph C. Gordon!"

The point that we had overlooked, presented to us now, for the first
time, almost on the eve of our proving up, was of such vital
importance, as it occurred to our awakened understanding, that, at
first, we could do nothing but stare at each other, and at him, in
stunned dismay. But hope, as that saving angel will, stirred, and
began to brighten as our friend proceeded.

"There are ways," he said. "I've been thinking of some of 'em; but I
am desperate afraid that none of 'em will do. The agent might, if he
was disposed to be obligin', transfer your father's claim to you,
Jessie, if you could swear that you are the head of a family, and
that's what you can't do--not as the law requires it, you can't. The
law don't recognize any one as the head of a family until of legal
age. Even if you were of legal age, the agent might refuse, if he saw
fit. If he should, all that you can do will be to file on the claim
again and go in for another five years' tussle with the homesteading
problem. 'Pears like there was a pretty fair prospect of your whole
family coming of age before another siege of homesteading is ended.
Why didn't I think of all this before? 'Cause I'm an old wooden head,
I s'pose! No, I'm mighty afeared that the only thing we can do is for
you to jest go down and file on the land in your own name, and say
nothing about age, if the agent asks no questions. As I said before,
you'll be old enough for anything before it comes time fo