rrelled, until
Jacob said that there was plainly but one way of peace between them,
and that was to apportion the land into equal parts and let every man
take his share, and then the idleness of Asher and the drunkenness of
Thurstan would be to each man his own affair. At that they remembered
that the lands of Lague, then the largest estate on the north of the
island, had once been made up of six separate farms, with a house to
each of them, though five of the six houses had long stood empty. And
seeing that there were just six of themselves it seemed, as Jacob
said, as if Providence had so appointed things to see them out of
their difficulty. But the farms, though of pretty equal acreage, were
of various quality of land, and therein the quarrelling set in
afresh.

"I'll take Ballacraine," said Thurstan.

"No, but I'll take it," said Jacob, "for I've always worked the
meadows."

In the end they cast lots, and then, each man having his farm
assigned to him, all seemed to be settled when Asher cried.

"But what about the girl?"

At that they looked stupidly into each other's faces, for never once
in all their bickering had they given a thought to Greeba. But
Jacob's resource was not yet at an end, for he suggested that Asher
should keep her at Lague, and at harvest the other five should give
her something, and that her keep and their gifts together should be
her share; and if she had all she needed what more could she wish?

They did not consult Greeba on this head, and before she had time to
protest they were in the thick of a fresh dispute among themselves.
The meadow lands of Ballacraine had fallen to Jacob after all, while
Thurstan got the high and stony lands of Ballafayle, at the foot of
Barrule. Thurstan was less than satisfied, and remembering that Jacob
had drawn out the papers for the lottery, he suspected cheating. So
he made himself well and thoroughly drunk at the "Hibernian," and set
off for Ballacraine to argue the question out. He found Jacob in no
mood for words of recrimination, and so he proceeded to thrash him,
and to turn him off the fat lands and settle himself upon them.

Then there was great commotion among the Fairbrothers, and each of
the other four took a side in the dispute. The end of it all was a
trial for ejectment at Deemster's Court at Ramsey, and another for
assault and battery. The ejectment came first and Thurstan was
ousted, and then six men of Maughold got up in the juror's b