adily into a weekly and
had room for it.

But Mr. Mong laid himself out to give the returns from the drawing for
homesteads, it being one of those rare chances in which an editor could
combine business and news without putting on an extra form. The
headquarters of the United States land-office for that territory being
at Meander, the drawing was to take place there. Meander was sixty miles
farther along, connected with the railroad and Comanche by stage and
telephone. So, every hour of the eventful day, Editor Mong was going to
issue an extra on telephonic information from the seat of the drawing.

On the day of the drawing, which came as clear and bright as the painted
dreams of those who trooped Comanche's streets, there remained in the
town, after the flitting entrants had come and gone, fully thirty
thousand expectant people. They were those in whom the hope of low
numbers was strong. For one drawing a low number must make his selection
of land and file on it at Meander within a few days.

In the case of the first number, the lucky drawer would have but three
days to make his selection and file on it. If he lapsed, then Number Two
became Number One, and all down the line the numbers advanced one.

So, in case that the winner of Number One had registered and gone home
to the far East or the middle states, he couldn't get back in time to
save his valuable chance. That gave big hope to those who expected
nothing better than seven or nine or something under twenty. Three or
four lapses ahead of them would move them along, each peg adding
thousands to their winnings, each day running out for them in golden
sands.

By dawn the streets were filled by early skirmishers for breakfast, and
sunrise met thousands more who, luggage in hand, talked and gesticulated
and blocked the dusty passages between the unstable walls of that city
of chance, which soon would come down and disappear like smoke from a
wayside fire. The thousands with their bags in hand would not sleep
another night beneath its wind-restless roofs. All those who expected to
draw Claim Number One were ready to take the stage or hire a special
conveyance to Meander, or, failing of their expectations in the lottery,
to board the special trains which the railroad had made ready, and leave
for home.

By nine o'clock it seemed to the waiting throngs that several ordinary
days had passed since they left their sagging canvas cots at daybreak to
stand attendant up