onorable to his uncle's memory. It was clearly
his duty to resist these blasted satraps of capitalists; he was
providentially selected for the purpose--a village Hampden to withstand
the tyrant. "And I reckon that shark of a lawyer knew all about it when
he was gettin' off that 'purp stuff' about people's sympathies with the
girl," said Rice belligerently. "Contest the will, would he? Why, if we
caught that Brown with a finger in the pie we'd just whip up the boys on
this Ledge and lynch him. You hang on to that three acres and the garden
patch of your forefathers, sonny, and we'll see you through!"

Nevertheless, it was with some misgivings that Wells consented that
his three partners should actually accompany him and see him put in
peaceable possession of his inheritance. His instinct told him that
there would be no contest of the will, and still less any opposition
on the part of the objectionable relative, Brown. When the wagon
which contained his personal effects and the few articles of furniture
necessary for his occupancy of the cabin arrived, the exaggerated
swagger which his companions had put on in their passage through the
settlement gave way to a pastoral indolence, equally half real, half
affected. Lying on their backs under a buckeye, they permitted Rice to
voice the general sentiment. "There's a suthin' soothin' and dreamy in
this kind o' life, Jacksey, and we'll make a point of comin' here for a
couple of days every two weeks to lend you a hand; it will be a mighty
good change from our nigger work on the claim."

In spite of this assurance, and the fact that they had voluntarily come
to help him put the place in order, they did very little beyond lending
a cheering expression of unqualified praise and unstinted advice. At the
end of four hours' weeding and trimming the boundaries of the garden,
they unanimously gave their opinion that it would be more systematic for
him to employ Chinese labor at once.

"You see," said Ned Wyngate, "the Chinese naturally take to this kind o'
business. Why, you can't take up a china plate or saucer but you see
'em pictured there working at jobs like this, and they kin live on green
things and rice that cost nothin', and chickens. You'll keep chickens,
of course."

Jackson thought that his hands would be full enough with the garden, but
he meekly assented.

"I'll get a pair--you only want two to begin with," continued Wyngate
cheerfully, "and in a month or two you've