投诉 阅读记录

第7章

"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。

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