had the rug badly rumpled with his
spurs, which he had forgotten to remove--and with a sweep of her forearm
she cleared the little table of novel, newspaper, and a magazine and
deck of cards, and barely saved her box of chocolates from going bottom
up on the floor.

"Like candy? Help yourself, if you do," she said, and tucked a piece
into her mouth absent-mindedly before she laid the leather-bound book
open on the table. "Now, we'll see what information Mr. Copp can give
us. He's a high authority--General Land Office Commissioner, if you
please. He's a few years old--several years old, for that matter--but
I don't think he's out of date; I believe what he says still goes.
M-m-m!-'Liens on Mines'--'Clause Inserted in Patents'--'Affidavits Taken
Without Notice to Opposing'--oh, it must be here--it's GOT to be here!"

She was running a somewhat sticky forefinger slowly down the index
pages. "It isn't alphabetically arranged, which I consider sloppy of Mr.
Copp. Ah-h! 'Minerals Discovered After Patent Has Issued to Agricultural
Claimant'--two hundred and eight. We'll just take a look at that first.
That's what they're claiming, you know." She hitched her chair closer,
and flipped the leaves eagerly. When she found the page, they touched
heads over it, though Miss Georgie read aloud.

"Oh, it's a letter--but it's a decision, and as such has weight. U-m!

"SIR: In reply to your letter of inquiry. . . I have to state that all
mineral deposits discovered on land after United States Patent therefor
has issued to a party claiming under the laws regulating the disposal of
agricultural lands, pass with the patent, and this office has no further
jurisdiction in the premise. Very respectfully,"

"'PASS WITH THE PATENT!'" Miss Georgie turned her face so that she could
look into Grant's eyes, so close to her own. "Old Peaceful must surely
have his patent--Baumberger can't be much of a lawyer, do you think?
Because that's a flat statement. There's no chance for any legal
quibbling in that--IS there?"

"That's about as straight as he could put it," Good Indian agreed, his
face losing a little of its anxiety.

"Well, we'll just browse along for more of the same," she suggested
cheerfully, and went back to the index. But first she drew a lead pencil
from where it had been stabbed through her hair, and marked the letter
with heavy brackets, wetting the lead on her tongue for emphasis.

"'Agricultural Claimants Entitled to Full Prot