o-morrow's the day I've set to go down and file on
this claim, 'count of it's being vacant! I don't s'pose, now, that you
girls are reely in earnest about trying to keep the place? It would be
a sight of trouble to you, even if the law would allow it, which it
won't."

"Why not, Mr. Horton?" I asked.

"Why not? Wal', I don't know just why; I didn't make the homestead
laws--reasonable laws they be, though; I couldn't 'a' made better ones
myself--but I can tell you two girls one big, fundamental clause, so
to speak, of the Homestead Act, under which you don't come--yes, two
of 'em. First, foremost, and enough to swamp your whole outfit, if
there was nothing else, you ain't neither of you of age. Second, not
being of age, you ain't neither of you the head of a family."

I looked at Mr. Horton's bandaged hand, and a thrill of genuine
delight went through me, as I hastened to dispute one of his
fundamental clauses.

"Jessie is the head of a family, Mr. Horton--Ralph and I are her
family."

"Maybe! Maybe! I s'pose, no doubt, you regard yourselves in that
light. No harm's done, as long as you keep it to yourselves, but
you'll find that the law won't recognize you in that way. The law's
everlastin' partic'lar about such things. But, again, there's the
matter of your both being under age! Now, what a misfortune that is to
you--s'posing that you're in earnest about wanting to keep this place,
but I reckon you ain't--if you recollect, you two, I've always said
that I'd have this place. It may save you some trouble and expense, if
I say right here and now, that I mean to have it! I mean to have it!
Don't forget that! But I ain't a hard man--not at all--and I'm willing
to make it as easy as I can for you. Why, I could 'a' filed on this
any time since your pa died, but I didn't, and why not?"

"If you ask me," I said, speaking very quietly, though I was
trembling with indignation, "I suppose you didn't file on it because
you thought it would be better to let us get a crop in before you did
it; then you could steal the crop along with the place."

"Leslie!" Jessie exclaimed, aghast.

But Mr. Horton's thin lips parted in a wolfish smile. "Oh--ho! you're
up on the homestead laws to some extent, I see. Crops do go with the
land when the claimant forfeits his right to the land that bears them.
Your father, he forfeited his right by getting drownded, and no one
has entered the claim since, so I'm about to enter it. As I said
bef