e
in mind that this was his first lawsuit. So that his lawyer, Mr.
Saponaceous Wood, found him in that belligerent mood to which counsel
are obliged to hypocritically bring all the sophistries of their
profession.

"Of course you have your right to an appeal, but calm yourself, my
dear sir, and consider. The case was presented strongly, the evidence
overwhelming on our side, but we happened to be fighting previous
decisions of the Land Commission that had brought them into trouble; so
that if Micheltorena had himself appeared in Court and testified to
his giving you the grant, it would have made no difference,--no Spanish
grant had a show then, nor will it have for the next six months. You
see, my dear sir, the Government sent out one of its big Washington
lawyers to look into this business, and he reported frauds, sir, frauds,
in a majority of the Spanish claims. And why, sir? why? He was bought,
sir, bought--body and soul--by the Ring!"

"And fwhot's the Ring?" asked his client sharply.

"The Ring is--ahem! a combination of unprincipled but wealthy persons to
defeat the ends of justice."

"And sure, fwhot's the Ring to do wid me grant as that thaving Mexican
gave me as the collatherals for the bourd he was owin' me? Eh, mind that
now!"

"The Ring, my dear sir, is the other side. It is--ahem! always the Other
Side."

"And why the divel haven't we a Ring too? And ain't I payin' ye five
hundred dollars,--and the divel of Ring ye have, at all, at all? Fwhot
am I payin' ye fur, eh?"

"That a judicious expenditure of money," began Mr. Wood, "outside of
actual disbursements, may not be of infinite service to you I am not
prepared to deny,--but--"

"Look ye, Mr. Sappy Wood, it's the 'appale' I want, and the grant I'll
have, more betoken as the old woman's har-rut and me own is set on it
entoirely. Get me the land and I'll give ye the half of it,--and it's a
bargain!"

"But my dear sir, there are some rules in our profession,--technical
though they may be--"

"The divel fly away wid yer profession. Sure is it better nor me own?
If I've risked me provisions and me whisky, that cost me solid goold in
Frisco, on that thafe Garcia's claim, bedad! the loikes of ye can risk
yer law."

"Well," said Wood, with an awkward smile, "I suppose that a deed for one
half, on the consideration of friendship, my dear sir, and a dollar in
hand paid by me, might be reconcilable."

"Now it's talkin' ye are. But who's the felly we