eating pulses, but a hushed
tongue, to his host's ill-concealed misgivings.

"You see, Clarence, that lower terrace?" he said, pointing to a
far-reaching longitudinal plain beyond the corral; "it extends from my
corral to Fair Plains. That is claimed by the sisters' title, and, as
things appear to be going, if a division of the land is made it will be
theirs. It's bad enough to have this best grazing land lying just on
the flanks of the corral held by these rascals at an absurd prohibitory
price, but I am afraid that it may be made to mean something even worse.
According to the old surveys, these terraces on different levels were
the natural divisions of the property,--one heir or his tenant taking
one, and another taking another,--an easy distinction that saved the
necessity of boundary fencing or monuments, and gave no trouble to
people who were either kinsmen or lived in lazy patriarchal concord.
That is the form of division they are trying to reestablish now. Well,"
he continued, suddenly lifting his eyes to the young man's flushed face,
in some unconscious, sympathetic response to his earnest breathlessness,
"although my boundary line extends half a mile into that field, my house
and garden and corral ARE ACTUALLY UPON THAT TERRACE OR LEVEL." They
certainly appeared to Clarence to be on the same line as the long field
beyond. "If," went on Peyton, "such a decision is made, these men will
push on and claim the house and everything on the terrace."

"But," said Clarence quickly, "you said their title was only valuable
where they have got or can give POSSESSION. You already have yours. They
can't take it from you except by force."

"No," said Peyton grimly, "nor will they dare to do it as long as I live
to fight them."

"But," persisted Clarence, with the same singular hesitancy of manner,
"why didn't you purchase possession of at least that part of the land
which lies so dangerously near your own house?"

"Because it was held by squatters, who naturally preferred buying what
might prove a legal title to their land from these impostors than to
sell out their possession to ME at a fair price."

"But couldn't you have bought from them both?" continued Clarence.

"My dear Clarence, I am not a Croesus nor a fool. Only a man who was
both would attempt to treat with these rascals, who would now, of
course, insist that THEIR WHOLE claim should be bought up at their own
price, by the man who was most concerned in defea