Part 93 (2/2)
”Son,” said he, ”I'm an old man, and I've lived in this state since the early gold days. That means I've seen a lot of things. In all that time the two most valuable idees I've dug up are these: in the first place, it don't never do to go off half-c.o.c.k; and in the second place, if you want to know about a thing, go to headquarters for it.”
He removed his pipe and blew a cloud.
”Half of that's for me and the other half's for you,” he resumed. ”I ain't going to give you my notions until I've thought them over a little; that's for me. As for you, if I was you, I'd just amble over and talk the whole matter over with Mr. Welton and see what he thinks about his end of it.”
XX
This advice seemed so good that Bob acted upon it at his earliest opportunity. He found Welton riding his old brindle mule in from the bull donkey where he had been inspecting the work. The lumberman's red, jolly face lit up with a smile of real affection as he recognized Bob, an expression quickly changed, however, as he caught sight of the young man's countenance.
”What's up, Bobby?” he inquired with concern; ”anything happened?”
”Nothing yet; but I want to talk with you.”
Welton immediately dismounted, with the laborious clumsiness of the man brought up to other means of locomotion, tied Jane to a tree, and threw himself down at the foot of a tall pine.
”Let's have it,” said he.
”There have come into my hands some doc.u.ments,” said Bob, ”that embarra.s.s me a great deal. Here they are.”
He handed them to Welton. The lumberman ran them through in silence.
”Well,” he commented cheerfully, ”they seem to be all right. What's the matter?”
”The matter is with the t.i.tle to the land,” said Bob.
Welton looked the list of records over more carefully.
”I'm no lawyer,” he confessed at last; ”but it don't need a lawyer to see that this is all regular enough.”
”Have you read the findings of the commission?”
”That stuff? Sure! That don't amount to anything. It's merely an expression of opinion; and mighty poor opinion at that.”
”Don't you see what I'm up against?” insisted Bob. ”It will be in my line of duty to open suit against the Wolverine Company for recovery of those lands.”
”Suit!” echoed Welton. ”You talk foolish, Bob. This company has owned these lands for nearly thirty years, and paid taxes on them. The records are all straight, and the t.i.tles clear.”
”It begins to look as if the lands were taken up contrary to law,”
insisted Bob; ”and, if so, I'll be called upon to prosecute.” ”Contrary to your grandmother,” said Welton contemptuously. ”Some of your young squirts of lawyers have been reading their little books. If these lands were taken up contrary to law, why so were every other timber lands in the state.”
”That may be true, also,” said Bob. ”I don't know.”
”Well, will you tell me what's wrong with them?” asked Welton.
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