instance, that was
exactly like yours. Brown had some money, and he fought it through up to
the Supreme Court, but they decided against him."

"How was that?" asked Samuels.

Bob explained at length, dispassionately, avoiding even the colour of
argument, but drawing strongly the parallel.

"Even if you could afford it, I'm almighty afraid you'd run up against
exactly the same thing," Bob concluded, "and they'd certainly use the
Brown case as a precedent."

"Well, I've got money!" said Samuels. "Don't you forget it. I don't have
to live in a place like this. I've got a good, sawn-lumber house,
painted, in Durham and a garden of posies."

"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