下载辰思小说免费APP
"Oh，no，youhaven\'t，"saidTommy，wrappinghisarmsaroundhisknees。"Becauseifyoudidnoeditorwouldbuythestory。Youknowyou\'vegottopreservetheunities。"
"So\'veyou，"saidtheburglar，ratherglumly。
"Insteadofsittingheretalkingimpudenceandtakingthebreadoutofapoorman\'smouth，whatyou\'dliketobedoingishidingunderthebedandscreechingatthetopofyourvoice。"
"You\'reright，oldman，"saidTommy，heartily。"I
wonderwhattheymakeusdoitfor？IthinktheS。P。C。C。oughttointerfere。I\'msureit\'sneitheragreeablenorusualforakidofmyagetobuttinwhenafull-grownburglarisatworkandofferhimaredsledandapairofskatesnottoawakenhissickmother。Andlookhowtheymaketheburglarsact!You\'dthinkeditorswouldknow——butwhat\'stheuse？"
Theburglarwipedhishandsonthetableclothandarosewithayawn。
"Well，let\'sgetthroughwithit，"hesaid。"Godblessyou，mylittleboy!youhavesavedamanfromcommittingacrimethisnight。BessieshallprayforyouassoonasIgethomeandgiveherherorders。Ishallneverburglarizeanotherhouse——atleastnotuntiltheJunemagazinesareout。It\'llbeyourlittlesister\'sturnthentoruninonmewhileIamabstractingtheU。S。4
percent。fromtheteaurnandbuymeoffwithhercoralnecklaceandafalsettokiss。"
"Youhaven\'tgotallthekickscomingtoyou，"sighedTommy，crawlingoutofhischair。"ThinkofthesleepI\'mlosing。Butit\'stoughonbothofus，oldman。Iwishyoucouldgetoutofthestoryandreallyrobsomebody。
Maybeyou\'llhavethechanceiftheydramatizeus。"
"Never!"saidtheburglar，gloomily。"Betweentheboxofficeandmybetterimpulsesthatyourleadingjuven-
ilesaresupposedtoawakenandthemagazinesthatpayonpublication，IguessI\'llalwaysbebroke。"
"I\'msorry，"saidTommy，sympathetically。"ButI
can\'thelpmyselfanymorethanyoucan。It\'soneofthecanonsofhouseholdfictionthatnoburglarshallbesuc-
cessful。Theburglarmustbefoiledbyakidlikeme，or-
byayoungladyheroine，oratthelastmomentbyhisoldpal，RedMike，whorecognizesthehouseasoneinwhichheusedtobethecoachman。Youhavegottheworstendofitinanykindofastory。"
"Well，IsupposeImustbeclearingoutnow，"saidtheburglar，takinguphislanternandbracebit。
"YouhavetotaketherestofthischickenandthebottleofwinewithyouforBessieandhermother，"saidTommy，calmly。
"Butconfoundit，"exclaimedtheburglar，inanannoyedtone，"theydon\'twantit。I\'vegotfivecasesofChateaudeBeychsvelleathomethatwasbottledin1853。Thatclaretofyoursiscorked。Andyoucouldn\'tgeteitherofthemtolookatachickenunlessitwasstewedinchampagne。Youknow，afterIgetoutofthestoryI
don\'thavesomanylimitations。Imakeaturnnowandthen。"
"Yes，butyoumusttakethem，"saidTommy，loadinghisarmswiththebundles。
"Blessyou，youngmaster!"recitedtheburglar，obedient。"Second-StorySaulwillneverforgetyou。
Andnowhurryandletmeout，kid。Our2，000wordsmustbenearlyup。"
Tommyledthewaythroughthehalltowardthefrontdoor。Suddenlytheburglarstoppedandcalledtohimsoftly:"Ain\'tthereacopoutthereinfrontsomewheresparkingthegirl？"
"Yes，"saidTommy，"butwhat——"
"I\'mafraidhe\'llcatchme，"saidtheburglar。"Youmustn\'tforgetthatthisisfiction。"
"Greathead!"saidTommy，turning。"Comeoutbythebackdoor。"
ACHAPARRALCHRISTMASGIFT
Theoriginalcauseofthetroublewasabouttwentyyearsingrowing。
Attheendofthattimeitwasworthit。
HadyoulivedanywherewithinfiftymilesofSun-
downRanchyouwouldhaveheardofit。Itpossessedaquantityofjet-blackhair，apairofextremelyfrank，deep-browneyesandalaughthatrippledacrosstheprairielikethesoundofahiddenbrook。ThenameofitwasRositaMcMullen；andshewasthedaughterofoldmanMcMullenoftheSundownSheepRanch。
Therecameridingonredroansteeds——or，tobemoreexplicit，onapaintandaflea-bittensorrel——twowooers。
OnewasMadisonLane，andtheotherwastheFrioKid，ButatthattimetheydidnotcallhimtheFrioKid，forhehadnotearnedthehonoursofspecialnomenclature-
HisnamewassimplyJohnnyMcRoy。
ItmustnotbesupposedthatthesetwowerethesumoftheagreeableRosita\'sadmirers。ThebronchosofadozenotherschampedtheirbitsatthelonghitchingrackoftheSundownRanch。Manywerethesheeps\'-
evesthatwerecastinthosesavannasthatdidnotbelong。
totheflocksofDanMcMullen。Butofallthecavaliers，MadisonLaneandJohnnyMeRoygallopedfarahead，whereforetheyaretobechronicled。
MadisonLane，ayoungcattlemanfromtheNuecescountry，wontherace。HeandRositaweremarriedoneChristmasday。Armed，hilarious，vociferous，mag-
nanimous，thecowmenandthesheepmen，layingasidetheirhereditaryhatred，joinedforcestocelebratetheoccasion。
SundownRanchwassonorouswiththecrackingofjokesandsixshooters，theshineofbucklesandbrighteyes，theoutspokencongratulationsoftheherdersofkine。
ButwhiletheweddingfeastwasatitsliveliesttheredescendeduponitJohnnyMeRoy，bittenbyjealousy，likeonepossessed。
"I\'llgiveyouaChristmaspresent，"heyelled，shrilly，atthedoor，withhis。45inhishand。Eventhenhehadsomereputationasanoffhandshot。
HisfirstbulletcutaneatunderbitinMadisonLane\'srightear。Thebarrelofhisgunmovedaninch。Thenextshotwouldhavebeenthebride\'shadnotCarson，asheepman，possessedamindwithtriggerssomewhatwelloiledandinrepair。Thegunsoftheweddingpartyhadbeenhung，intheirbelts，uponnailsinthewallwhentheysatattable，asaconcessiontogoodtaste。ButCarson，withgreatpromptness，hurledhisplateofroastvenisonandfrijolesatMcRoy，spoilinghisaim。Thesecondbullet，then，onlyshatteredthewhitepetalsofaSpanishdaggerflowersuspendedtwofeetaboveRosita\'shead。
Theguestsspurnedtheirchairsandjumpedfortheirweapons。Itwasconsideredanimproperacttoshootthebrideandgroomatawedding。InaboutsixsecondsthereweretwentyorsobulletsduetobewhizzinginthedirectionofMr。McRoy。
"I\'llshootbetternexttime，"yelledJohnny；"andthere\'llbeanexttime。"Hebackedrapidlyoutthedoor。
Carson，thesheepman，spurredontoattemptfurtherexploitsbythesuccessofhisplate-throwing，wasfirsttoreachthedoor。McRoy\'sbulletfromthedarknesslaidhimlow。
Thecattlementhensweptoutuponhim，callingforvengeance，for，whiletheslaughterofasheepmanhasnotalwayslackedcondonement，itwasadecidedmis-
demeanourinthisinstance。Carsonwasinnocent；hewasnoaccompliceatthematrimonialproceedings；norhadanyoneheardhimquotetheline"Christmascomesbutonceayear"totheguests。
Butthesortiefailedinitsvengeance。McRoywasonhishorseandaway，shoutingbackcursesandthreatsashegallopedintotheconcealingchaparral。
ThatnightwasthebirthnightoftheFrioKid。Hebecamethe"badman"ofthatportionoftheState。
TherejectionofhissuitbyMissMcMullenturnedhimtoadangerousman。WhenofficerswentafterhimfortheshootingofCarson，hekilledtwoofthem，andentereduponthelifeofanoutlaw。Hebecameamarvellousshotwitheitherhand。Hewouldturnupintownsandsettlements，raiseaquarrelattheslightestopportunity，pickoffhismanandlaughattheofficersofthelaw。Hewassocool，sodeadly，sorapid，soinhumanlyblood-
thirstythatnonebutfaintattemptswereevermadetocapturehim。Whenhewasatlastshotandkilledbyalittleone-armedMexicanwhowasnearlydeadhimselffromfright，theFrioKidhadthedeathsofeighteenmenonhishead。Abouthalfofthesewerekilledinfairduelsdependinguponthequicknessofthedraw。Theotherhalfweremenwhombeassassinatedfromabsolutewantonnessandcruelty。
Manytalesaretoldalongtheborderofhisimpudentcourageanddaring。Buthewasnotoneofthebreedofdesperadoeswhohaveseasonsofgenerosityandevenofsoftness。Theysayheneverhadmercyontheobjectofhisanger。YetatthisandeveryChristmastideitiswelltogiveeachonecredit，ifitcanbedone，forwhat-
everspeckofgoodhemayhavepossessed。IftheFrioKideverdidakindlyactorfeltathrobofgenerosityinhisheartitwasonceatsuchatimeandseason，andthisisthewayithappened。
Onewhohasbeencrossedinloveshouldneverbreathetheodourfromtheblossomsoftheratamatree。Itstirsthememorytoadangerousdegree。
OneDecemberintheFriocountrytherewasaratamatreeinfullbloom，forthewinterhadbeenaswarmasspringtime。ThatwayrodetheFrioKidandhissatelliteaWco-murderer，MexicanFrank。Thekidreinedinhismustang，andsatinhissaddle，thoughtfulandgrim，withdangerouslynarrowingeyes。Therich，sweetscenttouchedhimsomewherebeneathhisiceandiron。
"Idon\'tknowwhatI\'vebeenthinkingabout，Mex，"
heremarkedinhisusualmilddrawl，"tohaveforgotallaboutaChristmaspresentIgottogive。I\'mgoingtorideoverto-morrownightandshootMadisonLaneinhisownhouse。Hegotmygirl——Rositawouldhavehadmeifhehadn\'tcutintothegame。IwonderwhyI
happenedtooverlookituptonow？"
"Ah，shucks，Kid，"saidMexican，"don\'ttalkfoolish-
ness。Youknowyoucan\'tgetwithinamileofMadLane\'shouseto-morrownight。IseeoldmanAllendaybeforeyesterday，andhesaysMadisgoingtohaveChristmasdoingsathishouse。YourememberhowyoushotupthefestivitieswhenMadwasmarried，andaboutthethreatsyoumade？Don\'tyousupposeMadLane\'llkindofkeephiseyeopenforacertainMr。Kid？Youplumbmakemetired，Kid，withsuchremarks。"
"I\'mgoing，"repeatedtheFrioKid，withoutheat，"togotoMadisonLane\'sChristmasdoings，andkillhim。Ioughttohavedoneitalongtimeago。Why，Mex，justtwoweeksagoIdreamedmeandRositawasmarriedinsteadofherandhim；andwewaslivinginahouse，andIcouldseehersmilingatme，and——oh!h——l，Mex，hegother；andI\'llgethim——yes，sir，onChristmasEvehegother，andthen\'swhenI\'llgethim。"
"There\'sotherwaysofcommittingsuicide，"advisedMexican。"Whydon\'tyougoandsurrendertothesheriff？"
"I\'llgethim，"saidtheKid。
ChristmasEvefellasbalmyasApril。Perhapstherewasahintoffar-awayfrostinessintheair，butittingleslikeseltzer，perfumedfaintlywithlateprairieblossomsandthemesquitegrass。
Whennightcamethefiveorsixroomsoftheranch-
housewerebrightlylit。InoneroomwasaChristmastree，fortheLaneshadaboyofthree，andadozenormoreguestswereexpectedfromthenearerranches。
AtnightfallMadisonLanecalledasideJimBelcherandthreeothercowboysemployedonhisranch。
"Now，boys，"saidLane，"keepyoureyesopen。Walkaroundthehouseandwatchtheroadwell。Allofyouknowthe\'FrioKid，\'astheycallhimnow，andifyouseehim，openfireonhimwithoutaskinganyquestions。
I\'mnotafraidofhiscomingaround，butRositais。She\'sbeenafraidhe\'dcomeinonuseveryChristmassinceweweremarried。"
Theguestshadarrivedinbuckboardsandonhorseback，andweremakingthemselvescomfortableinside。
Theeveningwentalongpleasantly。TheguestsenjoyedandpraisedRosita\'sexcellentsupper，andafter-
wardthemenscatteredingroupsabouttheroomsoronthebroad"gallery，"smokingandchatting。
TheChristmastree，ofcourse，delightedtheyoungsters，andaboveallweretheypleasedwhenSantaClaushimselfinmagnificentwhitebeardandfursappearedandbegantodistributethetoys。
"It\'smypapa，"announcedBillySampson，agedsix。
"I\'veseenhimwear\'embefore。"
Berkly，asheepman，anoldfriendofLane，stoppedRositaasshewaspassingbyhimonthegallery，wherehewassittingsmoking。
"Well，Mrs。Lane，"saidhe，"IsupposebythisChrist-
masyou\'vegottenoverbeingafraidofthatfellowMcRoy，haven\'tyou？MadisonandIhavetalkedaboutit，youknow。"
"Verynearly，"saidRosita，smiling，"butIamstillnervoussometimes。Ishallneverforgetthatawfultimewhenhecamesoneartokillingus。"
"He\'sthemostcold-heartedvillainintheworld，"saidBerkly。"Thecitizensallalongtheborderoughttoturnoutandhunthimdownlikeawolf。"
"Hehascommittedawfulcrimes，"saidRosita，but——I——don\'t——know。Ithinkthereisaspotofgoodsomewhereineverybody。Hewasnotalwaysbad——
thatIknow。"
Rositaturnedintothehallwaybetweentherooms。
SantaClaus，inmufflingwhiskersandfurs，wasjustcomingthrough。
"Iheardwhatyousaidthroughthewindow，Mrs。
Lane，"hesaid。"IwasjustgoingdowninmypocketforaChristmaspresentforyourhusband。ButI\'veleftoneforyou，instead。It\'sintheroomtoyourright。"
"Oh，thankyou，kindSantaClaus，"saidRosita，brightly。
Rositawentintotheroom，whileSantaClaussteppedintothecoolerairoftheyard。
ShefoundnooneintheroombutMadison。
"WhereismypresentthatSantasaidheleftformeinhere？"sheasked。
"Haven\'tseenanythinginthewayofapresent，"saidherhusband，laughing，"unlesshecouldhavemeantme。"
ThenextdayGabrielRadd，theforemanoftheX0
Ranch，droppedintothepost-officeatLomaAlta。
"Well，theFrioKid\'sgothisdoseofleadatlast，"heremarkedtothepostmaster。
"Thatso？How\'dithappen？"
"OneofoldSanchez\'sMexicansheepherdersdidit!——
thinkofit!theFrioKidkilledbvasheepherder!
TheGreasersawhimridingalongpasthiscampabouttwelveo\'clocklastnight，andwassoskeeredthatheupwithaWinchesterandlethimhaveit。FunniestpartofitwasthattheKidwasdressedallupwithwhiteAngora-
skinwhiskersandaregularSantyClausrig-outfromheadtofoot。ThinkoftheFrioKidplayingSanty!"
ALITTLELOCALCOLOUR
ImentionedtoRivingtonthatIwasinsearchofcharacteristicNewYorkscenesandincidents——some-
thingtypical，Itoldhim，withoutnecessarilyhavingtospellthefirstsyllablewithan"i。"
"Oh，foryourwritingbusiness，"saidRivington；"youcouldn\'thaveappliedtoabettershop。WhatIdon\'tknowaboutlittleoldNewYorkwouldn\'tmakeasonnettoasunbonnet。I\'llputyourightinthemiddleofsomuchlocalcolourthatyouwon\'tknowwhetheryouareamagazinecoverorintheerysipelasward。Whendoyouwanttobegin？"
Rivingtonisayoung-man-about-townandaNewYorkerbybirth，preferenceandincommutability。
ItoldhimthatIwouldbegladtoaccepthisescortandguardianshipsothatImighttakenotesofManhattan\'sgrand，gloomyandpeculiaridiosyncrasies，andthatthetimeofsodoingwouldbeathisownconvenience。
"We\'llbeginthisveryevening，"saidRivington，him-
selfinterested，likeagoodfellow。"Dinewithmeatseven，andthenI\'llsteer\'youupagainstmetropolitanphasessothickyou\'llhavetohaveakinetoscopetorecord\'em。"
SoIdinedwithRivingtonpleasantlyathisclub，inForty-eleventhstreet，andthenwesetforthinpursuitoftheelusivetinctureofaffairs。
Aswecameoutoftheclubtherestoodtwomenonthesidewalknearthestepsinearnestconversation。
"Andbywhatprocessofratiocination，"saidoneofthem，"doyouarriveattheconclusionthatthedivisionofsocietyintoproducingandnon-possessingclassespredicatesfailurewhencomparedwithcompetitivesystemsthataremonopolizingintendencyandresultinimicallytoindustrialevolution？"
"Oh，comeoffyourperch!"saidtheotherman，whoworeglasses。"Yourpremiseswon\'tcomeoutinthewash。Youwind-jammerswhoapplybandy-leggedtheoriestoconcretecategoricalsyllogismssendlogicalconclusionsskallybootin\'intotheinfinitesimalragbag。
Youcan\'tpullmylegwithanoldsophismwithwhiskersonit。YouquoteMarxandHyndmanandKautsky-
whatarethey？——shines!Tolstoi？——hisgarretisfullofrats。Iputittoyouoverthehome-platethattheideaofacooperativecommonwealthandanabolishmentofcompetitivesystemssimplytakestheragoffthebushandgivesmehyperesthesiaoftheroopteetoop!Theskoo-
kumhouseforyours!
Istoppedafewyardsawayandtookoutmylittlenotebook。
"Oh，comeahead，"saidRivington，somewhatner-
vously；"youdon\'twanttolistentothat。"
"Whyman，"Iwhispered，"thisisjustwhatIdowanttohear。Theseslangtypesareamongyourcity\'smostdistinguishingfeatures。IsthistheBoweryvariety？
Ireallymusthearmoreofit。"
"IfIfollowyou，"saidthemanwhohadspokenflrst，"youdonotbelieveitpossibletoreorganizesocietyonthebasisofcommoninterest？"
"Shinnyonyourownside!"saidthemanwithglasses。
"Youneverheardanysuchmusicfrommyfoghorn。
WhatIsaidwasthatIdidnotbelieveitpracticablejustnow。Theguyswithwadsarenotintheframeofmindtoslackuponthemazuma，andthemanwiththeportabletinbanquetingcanisterisn\'texactlyreadytojointheBibleclass。YoucanbetyourvariegatedsocksthatthesituationisallspifflicatedupfromtheBatterytobreakfast!WhatthecountryneedsisforsomebullyoldblokelikeCobdenorsomewiseguylikeoldBenFrank-
lintosashayuptothefrontandbiffthenigger\'sheadwiththebaseball。Doyoucatchmysmoke？What？"
Rivingtonpulledmebythearmimpatiently。
"Pleasecomeon，"hesaid。"Let\'sgoseesomething。
Thisisn\'twhatyouwant。"
"Indeed，itis，"Isaidresisting。"Thistoughtalkistheverystuffthatcounts。Thereisapicturesquenessaboutthespeechofthelowerorderofpeoplethatisquiteunique。DidyousaythatthisistheBoweryvarietyofslang？"
"Oh，well，"saidRivington，givingitup，"I\'lltellyoustraight。That\'soneofourcollegeprofessorstalking。
Herandownforadayortwoattheclub。It\'sasortoffadwithhimlatelytouseslanginhisconversation。
Hethinksitimproveslanguage。ThemanheistalkingtoisoneofNewYork\'sfamoussocialeconomists。Nowwillyoucomeon。Youcan\'tusethat，youknow。"
"No，"Iagreed；"Ican\'tusethat。WouldyoucallthattypicalofNewYork？"
"Ofcoursenot，"saidRivington，withasighofrelief。
"I\'mgladyouseethedifference。ButifyouwanttoheartherealoldtoughBoweryslangI\'lltakeyoudownwhereyou\'llgetyourfillofit。"
"Iwouldlikeit，"Isaid；"thatis，ifit\'stherealthing。
I\'veoftenreaditinbooks，butIneverheardit。Doyouthinkitwillbedangeroustogounprotectedamongthosecharacters？
"Oh，no，"saidRivington；"notatthistimeofnight。
Totellthetruth，Ihaven\'tbeenalongtheBoweryinalongtime，butIknowitaswellasIdoBroadway。We\'lllookupsomeofthetypicalBoweryboysandgetthemtotalk。It\'llbeworthyourwhile。Theytalkapeculiardialectthatyouwon\'thearany-whereelseonearth。"
RivingtonandIwenteastinaForty-secondstreetcarandthensouthontheThirdavenueline。
AtHoustonstreetwegotoffandwalked。
"WearenowonthefamousBowery，"saidRivington；
"theBowerycelebratedinsongandstory。"
Wepassedblockafterblockof"gents\'"furnishingstores——thewindowsfullofshirtswithpricesattachedandcuffsinside。Inotherwindowswerenecktiesandnoshirts。Peoplewalkedupanddownthesidewalks。
"Insomeways，"saidI，"thisremindsmeofKoko-
mono，Ind。，duringthepeach-cratingseason。"
Rivingtonwasnettled。
"Stepintooneofthesesaloonsorvaudevilleshows，"
saidhe，"withalargerollofmoney，andseehowquicklytheBowerywillsustainitsreputation。"
"Youmakeimpossibleconditions，"saidI，coldly。
ByandbyRivingtonstoppedandsaidwewereintheheartoftheBowery。TherewasapolicemanonthecornerwhomRivingtonknew。
"Hallo，Donahue!"saidmyguide。"Howgoesit？
MyfriendandIaredownthiswaylookingupabitoflocalcolour。He\'sanxioustomeetoneoftheBowerytypes。Can\'tyouputusontosomethinggenuineinthatline——somethingthat\'sgotthecolour，youknow？"
PolicemanDonahueturnedhimselfaboutponder-
ously，hisfloridfacefullofgood-nature。Hepointedwithhisclubdownthestreet。
"Sure!"hesaidhuskily。"HerecomesaladnowthatwasbornontheBoweryandknowseveryinchofit。Ifhe\'severbeenaboveBleeckerstreethe\'skeptittohimself。"
Amanabouttwenty-eightortwenty-nine，withasmoothface，wassaunteringtowarduswithhishandsinhiscoatpockets。PolicemanDonahuestoppedhimwithacourteouswaveofhisclub。
"Evening，Kerry，"hesaid。"Here\'sacoupleofgents，friendsofmine，thatwanttohearyouspielsomethingabouttheBowery。Canyoureel\'emoffafewyards？"
"Certainly，Donahue，"saidtheyoungman，pleas-
antly。"Goodevening，gentlemen，"hesaidtous，withapleasantsmile。Donahuewalkedoffonhisbeat。
"Thisisthegoods，"whisperedRivington，nudgingmewithhiselbow。"Lookathisjaw!"
"Say，cull，"saidRivington，pushingbackhishat，wot\'sdoin\'？Meandmyfriend\'stakingalookdowndeoldline——see？Decoppertippedusoffdatyouwaswisetodebowery。Isdatright？"
IcouldnothelpadmiringRivington\'spowerofadapt-
inghimselftohissurroundings。
"Donahuewasright，"saidtheyoungman，frankly；
"IwasbroughtupontheBowery。Ihavebeennews-
boy，teamster，pugilist，memberofanorganizedbandof\'toughs，\'bartender，anda\'sport\'invariousmean-
ingsoftheword。TheexperiencecertainlywarrantsthesuppositionthatIhaveatleastapassingacquaintancewithafewphasesofBowerylife。IwillbepleasedtoplacewhateverknowledgeandexperienceIhaveattheserviceofmyfriendDonahue\'sfriends。"
Rivingtonseemedillatease。
"Isay，"hesaid——somewhatentreatingly，"Ithought——
you\'renotstringingus，areyou？Itisn\'tjustthekindoftalkweexpected。Youhaven\'tevensaid\'Hullygee!\'
once。DoyoureallybelongontheBowery？"
"Iamafraid，"saidtheBoweryboy，smilingly，"thatatsometimeyouhavebeenenticedintooneofthedivesofliteratureandhadthecounterfeitcoinoftheBowerypasseduponyou。The\'argot\'towhichyoudoubtlessreferwastheinventionofcertainofyourliterary\'dis-
coverers\'whoinvadedtheunknownwildsbelowThirdavenueandputstrangesoundsintothemouthsoftheinhabitants。Safeintheirhomesfartothenorthandwest，thecredulousreaderswhowerebeguiledbythisnew\'dialect\'perusedandbelieved。LikeMarcoPoloandMungoPark——pioneersindeed，butambitioussoulswhocouldnotdrawthelineofdemarcationbetweendis-
coveryandinvention——theliterarybonesoftheseexplorersaredottingthetracklesswastesofthesub-
way。WhileitistruethatafterthepublicationofthemythicallanguageattributedtothedwellersalongtheBowerycertainofitspatphrasesandaptmetaphorswereadoptedand，toalimitedextent，usedinthislocality，itwasbecauseourpeoplearepromptinassimilatingwhateveristotheircommercialadvantage。Tothetouristswhovisitedournewlydiscoveredclime，andwhoexpectedarealizationoftheirliteraryguidebooks，theysuppliedthedemandsofthemarket。
"ButperhapsIamwanderingfromthequestion。InwhatwaycanIassistyou，gentlemen？Ibegyouwillbelievethatthehospitalityofthestreetisextendedtoall。Thereare，Iregrettosay，manycatchpennyplacesofentertainment，butIcannotconceivethattheywouldenticeyou。"
IfeltRivingtonleansomewhatheavilyagainstme。
"Say!"heremarked，withuncertainutterance；"comeandhaveadrinkwithus。"
"Thankyou，butIneverdrink。Ifindthatalcohol，eveninthesmallestquantities，alterstheperspective。
AndImustpreservemyperspective，forIamstudyinc，theBowery。Ihavelivedinitnearlythirtyyears，andIamjustbeginningtounderstanditsheartbeats。Itislikeagreatriverfedbyahundredalienstreams。Eachinfluxbringsstrangeseedsonitsflood，strangesiltandweeds，andnowandthenaflowerofrarepromise。Toconstruethisriverrequiresamanwhocanbuilddykesagainsttheoverflow，whoisanaturalist，ageologist，ahumanitarian，adiverandastrongswimmer。IlovemyBowery。Itwasmycradleandismyinspiration。
Ihavepublishedonebook。Thecriticshavebeenkind。
Iputmyheartinit。Iamwritinganother，intowhichIhopetoputbothheartandbrain。Considermeyourguide，gentlemen。IstherearythingIcantakeyoutosee，anyplacetowhichIcanconductyou？"
IwasafraidtolookatRivingtonexceptwithoneeye。
"Thanks，"saidRivington。"Wewerelookingup……thatis……myfriend……confoundit；it\'sagainstallprecedent，youknow……awfullyobliged……justthesame。"
"Incase，"saidourfriend，"youwouldliketomeetsomeofourBoweryyoungmenIwouldbepleasedtohaveyouvisitthequartersofourEastSideKappaDeltaPhiSociety，onlytwoblockseastofhere。"
"Awfullysorry，"saidRivington，"butmyfriend\'sgotmeonthejumpto-nioht。He\'saterrorwhenhe\'soutafterlocalcolour。Now，there\'snothingIwouldlikebetterthantodropinattheKappaDeltaPhi，but——
someothertime!"
Wesaidourfarewellsandboardedahome-boundcar。
WehadarabbitonupperBroadway，andthenIpartedwithRivingtononastreetcorner。
"Well，anyhow，"saidhe，bracedandrecovered，"itcouldn\'thavehappenedanywherebutinlittleoldNewYork。"
Whichtosaytheleast，wastypicalofRivington。
GEORGIA\'SRULING
IfyoushouldchancetovisittheGeneralLandOffice，stepintothedraughtsmen\'sroomandasktobeshownthemapofSaladoCounty。AleisurelyGerman——pos-
siblyoldKampferhimself——willbringittoyou。Itwillbefourfeetsquare，onheavydrawing-cloth。Theletteringandthefigureswillbebeautifullyclearanddistinct。
Thetitlewillbeinsplendid，undecipherableGermantext，ornamentedwithclassicTeutonicdesigns——verylikelyCeresorPomonaleaningagainsttheinitialletterswithcornucopiasventinggrapesandwieners。Youmusttellhimthatthisisnotthemapyouwishtosee；
thathewillkindlybringyouitsofficialpredecessor。
Hewillthensay，"Ach，so!"andbringoutamaphalfthesizeofthefirst，dim，old，tattered，andfaded。
BylookingcarefullynearitsnorthwestcorneryouwillpresentlycomeupontheworncontoursofChiquitoRiver，and，maybe，ifyoureyesaregood，discernthesilentwitnesstothisstory。
TheCommissioneroftheLandOfficewasoftheoldstyle；hisantiquecourtesywastooformalforhisday。
Hedressedinfineblack，andtherewasasuggestionofRomandraperyinhislongcoat-skirts。Hiscollarswere"undetached"(blamehaberdasheryfortheword)；histiewasanarrow，funerealstrip，tiedinthesameknotaswerehisshoe-strings。Hisgrayhairwasatrifletoolongbehind，buthekeptitsmoothandorderly。Hisfacewasclean-shaven，liketheoldstatesmen\'s。Mostpeoplethoughtitasternface，butwhenitsofficialexpressionwasoff，afewhadseenaltogetheradifferentcountenance。
Especiallytenderandgentleithadappearedtothosewhowereabouthimduringthelastillnessofhisonlychild。
TheCommissionerhadbeenawidowerforyears，andhislife，outsidehisofficialduties，hadbeensodevotedtolittleGeorgiathatpeoplespokeofitasatouchingandadmirablething。Hewasareservedman，anddignifiedalmosttoausterity，butthechildhadcomebelowitallandresteduponhisveryheart，sothatshescarcelymissedthemother\'slovethathadbeentakenaway。Therewasawonderfulcompanionshipbetweenthem，forshehadmanyofhisownways，beingthoughtfulandseriousbeyondheryears。
Oneday，whileshewaslyingwiththefeverburningbrightlyinherchecks，shesaidsuddenly:
"Papa，IwishIcoulddosomethinggoodforawholelotofchildren!"
"Whatwouldyouliketodo，dear？"askedtheCom-
Missioner。"Givethemaparty？"
"Oh，Idon\'tmeanthosekind。Imeanpoorchildrenwhohaven\'thomes，andaren\'tlovedandcaredforasIam。Itellyouwhat，papa!"
"What，myownchild？"
"IfIshouldn\'tgetwell，I\'llleavethemyou——notgiveyou，butjustlendyou，foryoumustcometomammaandmewhenyoudietoo。Ifyoucanfindtime，wouldn\'tyoudosomethingtohelpthem，ifIaskyou，papa？"
"Hush，hushdear，dearchild，"saidtheCommissioner，holdingherhotlittlehandagainsthischeek；"you\'llgetwellrealsoon，andyouandIwillseewhatwecandoforthemtogether。"
Butinwhatsoeverpathsofbenevolence，thusvaguelypremeditated，theCommissionermighttread，hewasnottohavethecompanyofhisbeloved。Thatnightthelittlefrailbodygrewsuddenlytootiredtostrugglefurther，andGeorgia\'sexitwasmadefromthegreatstagewhenshehadscarcelybeguntospeakherlittlepiecebeforethefootlights。Buttheremustbeastagemanagerwhounderstands。Shehadgiventhecuetotheonewhowastospeakafterher。
Aweekaftershewaslaidaway，theCommissionerreappearedattheoffice，alittlemorecourteous，alittlepalerandsterner，withtheblackfrock-coathangingalittlemorelooselyfromhistallfigure。
Hisdeskwaspiledwithworkthathadaccumulatedduringthefourheartbreakingweeksofhisabsence。Hischiefclerkhaddonewhathecould，buttherewereques-
tionsoflaw，offinejudicialdecisionstobemadeconcern-
ingtheissueofpatents，themarketingandleasingofschoollands，theclassificationintograzing，agricultural，watered，andtimbered，ofnewtractstobeopenedtosettlers。
TheCommissionerwenttoworksilentlyandob-
stinately，puttingbackhisgriefasfaraspossible，forcinghismindtoattackthecomplicatedandimportantbusi-
nessofhisoffice。Ontheseconddayafterhisreturnhecalledtheporter，pointedtoaleather-coveredchairthatstoodnearhisown，andordereditremovedtoalumber-
roomatthetopofthebuilding。InthatchairGeorgiawouldalwayssitwhenshecametotheofficeforhimofafternoons。
Astimepassed，theCommissionerseemedtogrowmoresilent，solitary，andreserved。Anewphaseofminddevelopedinhim。Hecouldnotendurethepresenceofachild。Oftenwhenaclatteringyoungsterbelongingtooneoftheclerkswouldcomechatteringintothebigbusiness-roomadjoininghislittleapartment，theCom-
missionerwouldstealsoftlyandclosethedoor。Hewouldalwayscrossthestreettoavoidmeetingtheschool-
childrenwhentheycamedancingalonginhappygroupsuponthesidewalk，andhisfirmmouthwouldcloseintoamereline。
Itwasnearlythreemonthsaftertherainshadwashedthelastdeadflower-petalsfromthemoundabovelittleGeorgiawhenthe"land-shark"firmofHamlinandAveryfiledpapersuponwhattheyconsideredthe"fattest"
vacancyoftheyear。
Itshouldnotbesupposedthatallwhoweretermed"land-sharks"deservedthename。Manyofthemwerereputablemenofgoodbusinesscharacter。SomeofthemcouldwalkintothemostaugustcouncilsoftheStateandsay:"Gentlemen，wewouldliketohavethis，andthat，andmattersgothus。"But，nexttoathreeyears\'droughtandtheboll-worm，theActualSettlerhatedtheLand-shark。Theland-sharkhauntedtheLandOffice，whereallthelandrecordswerekept，andhunted"vacancies"——thatis，tractsofunappro-
priatedpublicdomain，generallyinvisibleupontheofficialmaps，butactuallyexisting"upontheground。"
ThelawentitledanyonepossessingcertainStatescriptofilebyvirtueofsameuponanylandnotpreviouslylegallyappropriated。Mostofthescripwasnowinthehandsoftheland-sharks。Thus，atthecostofafewhundreddollars，theyoftensecuredlandsworthasmanythousands。Naturally，thesearchfor"vacancies"waslively。
Butoften——veryoften——thelandtheythussecured，thoughlegally"unappropriated，"wouldbeoccupiedbyhappyandcontentedsettlers，whohadlabouredforyearstobuilduptheirhomes，onlytodiscoverthattheirtitleswereworthless，andtoreceiveperemptorynoticetoquit。Thuscameaboutthebitterandnotunjustifiablehatredfeltbythetoilingsettlerstowardtheshrewdandseldommercifulspeculatorswhosooftenturnedthemforthdestituteandhomelessfromtheirfruitlesslabours。
Thehistoryofthestateteemswiththeirantagonism。
Mr。Land-sharkseldomshowedhisfaceon"locations"
fromwhichheshouldhavetoejecttheunfortunatevictimsofamonstrouslytangledlandsystem，butlethisemis-
saxiesdothework。Therewasleadineverycabin，mouldedintoballsforhim；manyofhisbrothershadenrichedthegrasswiththeirblood。Thefaultofitalllayfarback。
Whenthestatewasyoung，shefelttheneedofattract-
ingnewcomers，andofrewardingthosepioneersalreadywithinherborders。Yearafteryearsheissuedlandscrip——Headrights，Bounties，VeteranDonations，Confeder-
ates；andtorailroads，irrigationcompanies，colonies，andtillersofthesoilgalore。Allrequiredofthegranteewasthatheoritshouldhavethescripproperlysurveyeduponthepublicdomainbythecountyordistrictsurveyor，andthelandthusappropriatedbecamethepropertyofhimorit，orhisoritsheirsandassigns，forever。
Inthosedays——andhereiswherethetroublebegan-thestate\'sdomainwaspracticallyinexhaustible，andtheoldsurveyors，withprincely——yea，evenWesternAmerican——liberality，gavegoodmeasureandover-
flowing。Oftenthejovialmanofmetesandboundswoulddispensealtogetherwiththetripodandchain。
Mountedonaponythatcouldcoversomethingneara"vara"atastep，withapocketcompasstodirecthiscourse，hewouldtrotoutasurveybycountingthebeatofhispony\'shoofs，markhiscorners，andwriteouthisfieldnoteswiththecomplacencyproducedbyanactofdutywellperformed。Sometimes——andwhocouldblamethesurveyor？——whentheponywas"feelinghisoats，"hemightstepalittlehigherandfarther，andinthatcasethebeneficiaryofthescripmightgetathousandortwomoreacresinhissurveythanthescripcalledfor。
Butlookattheboundlessleaguesthestatehadtospare!
However，nooneeverhadtocomplainoftheponyunder-
stepping。Nearlyeveryoldsurveyinthestatecon-
tainedanexcessofland。
Inlateryears，whenthestatebecamemorepopulous，andlandvaluesincreased，thiscarelessworkentailedincalculabletrouble，endlesslitigation，aperiodofriotousland-grabbing，andnolittlebloodshed。Theland-
sharksvoraciouslyattackedtheseexcessesintheoldsurveys，andfileduponsuchportionswithnewscripasunappropriatedpublicdomain。Wherevertheidenti-
ficationsoftheoldtractswerevague，andthecornerswerenottobeclearlyestablished，theLandOfficewouldrecognizethenewerlocationsasvalid，andissuetitletothelocators。Herewasthegreatesthardshiptobefound。
Theseoldsurveys，takenfromthepickoftheland，werealreadynearlyalloccupiedbyunsuspectingandpeacefulsettlers，andthustheirtitlesweredemolished，andthechoicewasplacedbeforethemeithertobuytheirlandoveratadoublepriceortovacateit，withtheirfamiliesandpersonalbelongings，immediately。Landlocatorssprangupbyhundreds。Thecountrywasheldupandsearchedfor"vacancies"atthepointofacompass。
Hundredsofthousandsofdollars\'worthofsplendidacreswerewrestedfromtheirinnocentpurchasersandholders。Therebeganavasthegiraofevictedsettlersintatteredwagons；goingnowhere，cursinginjustice，stunned，purposeless，homeless，hopeless。Theirchildrenbegantolookuptothemforbread，andcry。
ItwasinconsequenceoftheseconditionsthatHamil-
tonandAveryhadfileduponastripoflandaboutamilewideandthreemileslong，comprisingabouttwothou-
sandacres，itbeingtheexcessovercomplementoftheEliasDennythree-leaguesurveyonChiquitoRiver，inoneofthemiddle-westerncounties。Thistwo-thousand-
acrebodyoflandwasassertedbythemtobevacantland，andimproperlyconsideredapartoftheDennysurvey。
TheybasedthisassertionandtheirclaimuponthelanduponthedemonstratedfactsthatthebeginningcorneroftheDennysurveywasplainlyidentified；thatitsfieldnotescalledtorunwest5，760varas，andthencalledforChiquitoRiver；thenceitransouth，withthemeanders——andsoon——andthattheChiquitoRiverwas，ontheground，fullyamilefartherwestfromthepointreachedbycourseanddistance。Tosumup:thereweretwothousandacresofvacantlandbetweentheDennysurveyproperandChiquitoRiver。
OneswelteringdayinJulytheCommissionercalledforthepapersinconnectionwiththisnewlocation。
Theywerebrought，andheaped，afootdeep，uponhisdesk——fieldnotes，statements，sketches，affidavits，connectinglines-documentsofeverydescriptionthatshrewdnessandmoneycouldcalltotheaidofHamlinandAvery。
ThefirmwaspressingtheCommissionertoissueapatentupontheirlocation。Theypossesedinsideinfor-
mationconcerninganewrailroadthatwouldprobablypasssomewherenearthisland。
TheGeneralLandOfficewasverystillwhiletheCom-
missionerwasdelvingintotheheartofthemassofevi-
dence。Thepigeonscouldbeheardontheroofoftheold，castle-likebuilding，cooingandfretting。Theclerksweredroningeverywhere，scarcelypretendingtoearntheirsalaries。Eachlittlesoundechoedhollowandloudfromthebare，stone-flaggedfloors，theplasteredwalls，andtheiron-joistedceiling。Theimpalpable，perpetuallime-
stonedustthatneversettled，whitenedalongstreamerofsunlightthatpiercedthetatteredwindow-awning。
ItseemedthatHamlinandAveryhadbuildedwell。
TheDennysurveywascarelesslymade，evenforacare-
lessperiod。Itsbeginningcornerwasidenticalwiththatofawell-definedoldSpanishgrant，butitsothercallsweresinfullyvague。Thefieldnotescontainednootherobjectthatsurvived——notree，nonaturalobjectsaveChiquitoRiver，anditwasamilewrongthere。
Accordingtoprecedent，theOfficewouldbejustifiedingivingititscomplementbycourseanddistance，andconsideringtheremaindervacantinsteadofamereexcess。
TheActualSettlerwasbesiegingtheofficewithwildprotestsinre。Havingthenoseofapointerandtheeyeofahawkfortheland-shark，hehadobservedhismyrmi-
donsrunningthelinesuponhisground。Makinginquiries，helearnedthatthespoilerhadattackedhishome，andhelefttheploughinthefurrowandtookhispeninhand。
OneoftheproteststheCommissionerreadtwice。Itwasfromawoman，awidow，thegranddaughterofEliasDennyhimself。Shetoldhowhergrandfatherhadsoldmostofthesurveyyearsbeforeatatrivialprice——landthatwasnowaprincipalityinextentandvalue。Hermotherhadalsosoldapart，andsheherselfhadsuc-
ceededtothiswesternportion，alongChiquitoRiver。
Muchofitshehadbeenforcedtopartwithinordertolive，andnowsheownedonlyaboutthreehundredacres，onwhichshehadherhome。Herletterwoundupratherpathetically:
"I\'vegoteightchildren，theoldestfifteenyears。I
workalldayandhalfthenighttotillwhatlittlelandIcanandkeepusinclothesandbooks。Iteachmychildrentoo。Myneighboursisallpoorandhasbigfamilies。
Thedroughtkillsthecropseverytwoorthreeyearsandthenwehashardtimestogetenoughtoeat。Thereistenfamiliesonthislandwhattheland-sharksistryingtorobusof，andallofthemgottitlesfromme。Isoldtothemcheap，andtheyaintpaidoutyet，butpartofthemis，andiftheirlandshouldbetookfromthemIwoulddie。Mygrandfatherwasanhonestman，andhehelpedtobuildupthisstate，andhetaughthischildrentobehonest，andhowcouldImakeituptothemwhoboughtme？Mr。Commissioner，ifyouletthemland-sharkstaketherooffromovermychildrenandthelittlefromthemastheyhastoliveon，whoeveragaincallsthisstategreatoritsgovernmentjustwillhavealieintheirmouths"
TheCommissionerlaidthisletterasidewithasigh。
Many，manysuchlettershehadreceived。Hehadneverbeenhurtbythem，norhadheeverfeltthattheyappealedtohimpersonally。Hewasbutthestate\'sservant，andmustfollowitslaws。Andyet，somehow，thisreflectiondidnotalwayseliminateacertainresponsiblefeelingthathunguponhim。Ofallthestate\'sofficershewassupremestinhisdepartment，notevenexceptingtheGovernor。Broad，generallandlawshefollowed，itwastrue，buthehadawidelatitudeinparticularramifica-
tions。Ratherthanlaw，whathefollowedwasRulings:
OfficeRulingsandprecedents。Inthecomplicatedandnewquestionsthatwerebeingengenderedbythestate\'sdevelopmenttheCommissioner\'srulingwasrarelyappealedfrom。Eventhecourtssustaineditwhenitsequitywasapparent。
TheCommissionersteppedtothedoorandspoketoaclerkintheotherroom——spokeashealwaysdid，asifhewereaddressingaprinceoftheblood:
"Mr。Weldon，willyoubekindenoughtoaskMr。
Ashe，thestateschool-landappraiser，topleasecometomyofficeassoonasconvenient？"
Ashecamequicklyfromthebigtablewherehewasarranginghisreports。
"Mr。Ashe，"saidtheCommissioner，"youworkedalongtheChiquitoRiver，inSaladoColinty，duringyourlasttrip，Ibelieve。DoyourememberanythingoftheEliasDennythree-leaguesurvey？"
"Yes，sir，Ido，"theblunt，breezy，surveyoranswered。
"IcrosseditonmywaytoBlockH，onthenorthsideofit。TheroadrunswiththeChiquitoRiver，alongthevalley。TheDennysurveyfrontsthreemilesontheChiquito。"
"Itisclaimed，"continuedthecommissioner，"thatitfailstoreachtheriverbyasmuchasamile。"
Theappraisershruggedhisshoulder。HewasbybirthandinstinctanActualSettler，andthenaturalfoeoftheland-shark。
"Ithasalwaysbeenconsideredtoextendtotheriver，"
hesaid，dryly。
"ButthatisnotthepointIdesiredtodiscuss，"saidtheCommissioner。"Whatkindofcountryisthisvalleyportionof(letussay，then)theDennytract？"
ThespiritoftheActualSettlerbeamedinAshe\'sface。
"Beautiful，"hesaid，withenthusiasm。"Valleyaslevelasthisfloor，withjustalittleswellon，likethesea，andrichascream。Justenoughbrakestoshelterthecattleinwinter。Blackloamysoilforsixfeet，andthenclay。Holdswater。Adozennicelittlehousesonit，withwindmillsandgardens。Peopleprettypoor，I
guess——toofarfrommarket——butcomfortable。Neversawsomanykidsinmylife。"
"Theyraiseflocks？"inquiredtheCommissioner。
"Ho，ho!Imeantwo-leggedkids，"lauchedthesurveyor；"two-legged，andbare-legged，andtow-headed。"
"Children!oh，children!"musedtheCommissioner，asthoughanewviewhadopenedtohim；"theyraisechildren!
"It\'salonesomecountry，Commissioner，"saidthesurveyor。"Canyoublame\'em？"
"Isuppose，"continuedtheCommissioner，slowly，asonecarefullypursuesdeductionsfromanew，stupendoustheory，"notallofthemaretow-headed。Itwouldnotbeunreasonable，Mr。Ashe，Iconjecture，tobelievethataportionofthemhavebrown，orevenblack，hair。"
"Brownandblack，sure，"saidAshe；"alsored。"
"Nodoubt，"saidtheCommissioner。"Well，Ithankyouforyourcourtesyininformingme，Mr。Ashe。Iwillnotdetainyouanylongerfromyourduties。"
Later，intheafternoon，cameHamlinandAvery，big，handsome，genial，saunteringmen，clothedinwhiteduckandlow-cutshoes。Theypermeatedthewholeofficewithanauraofdebonairprosperity。Theypassedamongtheclerksandleftawakeofabbreviatedgivennamesandfatbrowncigars。
Thesewerethearistocracyoftheland-sharks，whowentinforbigthings。Fullofsereneconfidenceinthem-
selves，therewasnocorporation，nosyndicate，norail-
roadcompanyorattorneygeneraltoobigforthemtotackle。Thepeculiarsmokeoftheirrare，fatbrowncigarswastobeperceivedinthesanctumofeverydepartmentofstate，ineverycommittee-roomoftheLegislature，ineverybankparlourandeveryprivatecaucus-roominthestateCapital。Alwayspleasant，neverinahurry，inseemingtopossessunlimitedleisure，peoplewonderedwhentheygavetheirattentiontothemanyaudaciousenterprisesinwhichtheywereknnowntobeengaged。
ByandbythetwodroppedcarelesslyintotheCom-
missioner\'sroomandreclinedlazilyinthebig，leather-
upholsteredarm-chairs。Theydrawledagood-naturedcomplaintoftheweather，andHamlintoldtheCom-
missioneranexcellentstoryhehadamassedthatmorn-
ingfromtheSecretaryofState。
ButtheCommissionerknewwhytheywerethere。Hehadhalfpromisedtorenderadecisionthatdayupontheirlocation。
ThechiefclerknowbroughtinabatchofduplicatecertificatesfortheCommissionertosign。Ashetracedhissprawlingsignature，"HollisSummerfield，Comr。
Genl。LandOffice，"oneachone，thechiefclerkstood，deftlyremovingthemandapplyingtheblotter。
"Inotice，"saidthechiefclerk，"you\'vebeengoingthroughthatSaladoCountylocation。Kampferismak-
inganewmapofSalado，andIbelieveisplattinginthatsectionofthecountynow。"
"Iwillseeit，"saidtheComissioner。Afewmomentslaterhewenttothedraughtsmen\'sroom。
AsheenteredhesawfiveorsixofthedraughtsmengroupedaboutKampfer\'sdesk，garglingawayateachotherinpectoralGerman，andgazingatsomethingthere-
upon。AttheCommissioner\'sapproachtheyscatteredtotheirseveralplaces。Kampfer，awizenedlittleGer-
man，withlong，frizzledringletsandawateryeye，begantostammerforthsomesortofanapology，theCommis-
sionerthought，forthecongregationofhisfellowsabouthisdesk。
"Nevermind，\'saidtheCommissioner，"Iwishtoseethemapyouaremaking"；and，passingaroundtheoldGerman，seatedhimselfuponthehighdraughtsman\'sstool。KampfercontinuedtobreakEnglishintrvingtoexplain。
"HerrGommissioner，IassureyoublentysatIhafnotitbremeditated——satitwass——satititselfmake。
Lookyou!fromsefieldnoteswassitblatted——bleasetoobservesecalls:South，10degreeswest050varas；
south，10degreeseast300varas；south，100；south，9
west，200；south，40degreeswest400——andsoon。
