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。