A QUESTION OF LAW
The sudden entrance of Roger, his words and manner, and his earnestness,
created no small excitement in the Kimball household. Adrian and Clara,
who had been in the sitting-room, discussing the situation, and
rejoicing over the sale of the land, by means of which the mortgage
could be paid, came hurrying into the kitchen as they heard their cousin
speak.
"Hello, Roger!" exclaimed Adrian. "I was just going out to hunt you up.
Where were you?"
"Out to Syracuse," answered Roger, briefly.
Mr. Kimball folded up the agreement of sale he had been reading, and
came over to where his nephew stood.
"Roger, my boy," he began, "what do ye mean? What is all this about,
anyhow? Ain't I got a right t' sell my land ef I want t'? 'N' ain't two
thousand dollars a good price fer th' spring-glade?"
"No, sir! It is not!" burst out the boy. "That's just it. You've gone
and bargained away land worth probably twenty times what you have agreed
to sell it for."
"What's that? I guess ye don't know what ye're talkin' about, Roger."
"I guess I do," said Roger, stoutly, but not forgetting the deference
due his uncle. "Look here!" and he held out a few of the white crystals.
"What's them?" asked Mr. Kimball.
"Rock salt."
"Rock salt. Wa'al, what of it? There's lots of it, out t' Syracuse."
"And there's lots of it on that land you've agreed to sell," exclaimed
Roger. "That's what I went to the city for. That's what I've been
following Mr. Ranquist and Mr. Dudley for. Uncle Bert, your farm, or
part of it, anyhow, is right over a salt mine. I know this, though I
can't say how big the mine is. But a man who knows something about such
things believes it will be worth lots of money. That's why I tried to
hurry home, to prevent you from signing the property away."
"Oh! Why didn't ye wait, Bert?" said Mrs. Kimball, in a sorrowful voice.
"Wa'al," spoke Mr. Kimball, in rather a husky tone, "I s'pose I ought t'
hev, but how'd I know there was salt on my land? There ain't never been
no evidences of it. How d'ye know there is?" turning suddenly to Roger.
"Because," answered the boy, earnestly, "I saw Mr. Ranquist and Mr.
Dudley drilling a hole near the spring. I saw them pull up something on
the end of a rod, from deep down under the earth. This morning I lowered
a weight on a string down the hole, and these white crystals stuck to
the wax on the end of the lead. Mr. Ranquist saw me, and he chased me,
but I beat him running. Then I went to a man in Syracuse. Enberry Took
gave me a ride out. The man told me what this stuff was, and wanted me
to warn you not to agree to sell."
Then Roger related the whole story to his uncle and the rest of the
family, just as he had told Mr. Vanter. When he had finished a silence
fell on the little group in the farmhouse kitchen.
"Humph!" ejaculated Mr. Kimball, at length. "I guess th' boy's right. I
wonder I didn't smell a rat when this feller Ranquist come so hot arter
my land, when there's plenty other t' be hed in Cardiff. I never
suspicioned nothin'. He offered me one thousand dollars, 'n' I says make
it two thousand, so's I could pay off th' mortgage."
"Did he do it?" asked Roger.
"Never hesitated a minute," went on Mr. Kimball. "Agreed to it right
away. 'N' then he hed me go up t' Squire Bimmer's office, 'n' sign th'
agreement. Paid me five hundred dollars down," and Mr. Kimball drew out
a crisp bank-note, and gazed rather sorrowfully at it. "He said he'd pay
th' balance 's soon 's we could draw th' deed, t'-morrow er next day,
but he said th' agreement were's bindin' 's ef he hed a deed."
"I guess it is," said Roger, remembering what Mr. Vanter had told him.
"Plowshares 'n' hoe handles, but why didn't I wait!" lamented Mr.
Kimball. "Though how in th' name a' th' sacred cat was I t' know there
were salt on th' land. My! My! But I guess I've made a bad mistake."
So, instead of being glad because the land was sold, Mr. Kimball, and
all the family, were greatly downcast after they had listened to Roger's
story. And he, too, took very much to heart the disappointment of his
uncle. If he had only acted a day sooner, all this trouble would have
been avoided. But it was too late for regrets now, and the only thing to
do, was to make the best of it, the boy thought. Yet it was very hard to
see valuable land sold for such a small sum, particularly when his uncle
needed money so badly. There was just a faint hope in Roger's heart,
that perhaps Mr. Vanter might be able to suggest a way out of the
difficulty. But the hope was so faint that he hardly dared speak of it.
He could only wait until the promised arrival of the surveyor, and see
what would come of it.
Troubled dreams disturbed the usually quiet slumbers of more than one
member of the Kimball home that night. Roger's uncle was so restless,
tossing to and fro on the bed, and thinking of his lost opportunity,
that he was glad when morning came, so he could get up and go to work.
The others, also, thought too much of what had happened to sleep well.
After the chores were done up Mr. Kimball paid a visit to the spring
glade. To his eyes, not experienced in looking for signs of mineral
wealth, there were no indications of a salt mine beneath the surface,
and he felt himself almost wishing such a thing could not be true. But
he could scarcely doubt it, after what had occurred. With a heavy heart
he took up the duties of the day.
"Come on, Roger," called Adrian, as soon as he had done his part of the
morning's work about the farm, "let's go up by the spring, and see where
the salt mine is. Cracky! I wish I'd been along when you went fishing on
dry land. I'll bet I'd fired a stone at Ranquist."
"I wish you had been along," said Roger. "Your father would not have
signed then. But I thought I was acting for the best."
"Of course you did. It isn't your fault," replied Adrian.
The two boys walked up the hill, and were soon at the place. On the way
Roger was wondering whether Mr. Vanter had come out. He remembered his
instructions, to pretend not to recognize the surveyor. As the lads
approached the spring they could hear through the trees, the noise of
men digging, and voices in conversation. The click of spades and shovels
was plainly audible.
"They're at it already!" exclaimed Adrian. "Hurry up, and let's see 'em
get the salt out."
"I guess they won't reach it very soon," said Roger. "It's about
twenty-five feet under the surface."
The boys quickened their steps, and soon came to the open glade. Three
men were busy at work, two of them laborers, while the third was a
familiar figure to Roger, who gave a start of surprise as he recognized
Mr. Vanter directing operations. But even in the intense excitement of
the moment, Roger did not forget his promise, and he was prepared to
show by no sign that he had ever seen the surveyor before.
"Why, there's a new man," said Adrian, as he caught sight of Mr. Vanter.
"I thought, at first, it was Mr. Dudley or Mr. Ranquist, but it isn't. I
wonder who he is. Anyhow, let's see what they are doing."
The cousins watched the laborers with great interest. Mr. Vanter glanced
up and saw Roger, but, though he gave just the faintest smile, to show
he knew his young friend, he made no motion to indicate that the order
of last night was not to be obeyed, so Roger kept silent.
The two laborers were digging a sort of inclined shaft, sinking it about
the place where Mr. Ranquist had drilled the small hole. Their picks and
shovels made the brown dirt fly, and Mr. Vanter urged them on, as though
they were working against time. The boys watched for perhaps ten
minutes, when there came a sound, as if some one was approaching. The
next instant Mr. Dudley and Mr. Ranquist appeared on the scene. Roger
started in surprise, wondering what would happen now, but Mr. Vanter
gave no indication that he saw the engineers, and the laborers kept on
digging.
"Well," said Mr. Ranquist, at length, "I must say I consider this a
rather high-handed proceeding. By what right, sir, are you working on my
property? Do you know," addressing Mr. Vanter, "that you and your men
are trespassing, and are liable to arrest?"
"Since when have you owned this land?" asked the surveyor, coolly. "This
belongs to Bert Kimball, a friend of mine, and--"
"It doesn't belong to him any more," broke in Mr. Ranquist.
"Since when has he ceased to own it?"
"Well, I don't know as that is any of your affair, but I'll tell you.
Since yesterday afternoon Mr. Kimball ceased to be the owner, when he
signed an agreement to sell this piece to the Universal Salt Company."
Mr. Vanter started, and looked at Roger, who sorrowfully nodded in
confirmation of what the engineer had said.
"There's his son; ask him," went on Mr. Ranquist, pointing to Adrian.
"I guess it's true," said the boy, in response to Mr. Vanter's look.
"But," he added, "my father would never have agreed to sell it if he had
known there was salt on it."
"I would imagine not," said Mr. Vanter, softly, to himself.
"That was his lookout, not mine," came from Mr. Ranquist. Turning to Mr.
Vanter, he added: "I advise you to leave here, my friend. I'll overlook
the trespass for once, but don't let it happen again," and he frowned in
a significant manner.
"Suppose I refuse to go until you prove to me that you own this land, or
have a legal right, by virtue of an agreement, to order me off," asked
Mr. Vanter.
"Then I'm afraid there'll be an unpleasant scene," exclaimed Mr.
Ranquist, in a harsh voice, and with a sudden motion he drew a revolver,
and aimed it full at the surveyor. "I don't want to resort to forceful
measures," he went on, "but I'll have no hesitation in using this if you
remain here three minutes longer." He drew out his watch.
"You needn't worry," spoke up Mr. Vanter, calmly. "I'm not afraid of
that popgun, for I've faced bigger ones than that, but at present you
seem to have the law on your side. However, Mr. Ranquist, we may meet
again, when perhaps the shoe will be on the other foot. I'll bid you
good-morning," and, bowing politely, with not a trace of anger in his
face, Mr. Vanter walked slowly down the hill, followed by the two
laborers. Roger and Adrian remained behind for a minute or so.
"I guess I can get along without you two boys," remarked Mr. Ranquist,
in strange contrast to his pleasant tones of a few days before. "And as
for you, Master Roger, if I catch you on this land after to-day, it
won't be well for you. Mind what I say, and keep off. I'll see your
father, Adrian, and have him keep you away also."
"You needn't trouble yourself," said Adrian, quickly. He was as angry as
ever a boy could be. "We don't have any great hankering to get on your
land, which you had to cheat to get control of," and with this parting
shot Adrian and Roger made their way in the direction taken by Mr.
Vanter. They caught up to him before he had gone very far, and though
Roger, in obedience to his instructions, was not going to speak, the
surveyor addressed him.
"Well, Roger," he said, "I see you were too late. Your uncle must have
signed before you got home last night."
"He had," answered the boy. "He was reading the agreement when I got in.
I think he said he is to sign the deed to-morrow."
"Too bad," remarked Mr. Vanter, sympathetically, "but I suppose it
couldn't be helped. I think I'll go down and see Mr. Kimball, anyhow. He
used to know me when I was a Cardiff boy. I suppose," turning to Adrian,
"this is his son?"
Adrian nodded pleasantly, and while the party advanced Roger told his
cousin in a low tone who Mr. Vanter was, and how he had met him. At the
foot of the hill the surveyor dismissed his laborers and went on with
the boys.
"I didn't have a chance to do much in the way of examining the land,"
said Mr. Vanter to Roger. "I would have dug deeper if I hadn't been
interrupted. But from what I saw, and the way Ranquist acted, I am
pretty sure the salt deposit is a large one, and valuable. I wish, for
Mr. Kimball's sake, I had known this two days ago."
When the three reached the house, they found Mr. Kimball reading a
letter. Roger introduced Mr. Vanter, and the farmer at once recalled the
man who, as a youngster, used to play about the village streets.
"I ain't forgot ye," he said, clapping Mr. Vanter heartily on the back.
"I remember onct when I ketched ye in my melon patch," and he laughed
at the recollection, Mr. Vanter joining in.
"I have even better cause than you have not to forget that little
incident," responded the surveyor, as he rubbed the back of his legs
reflectively.
"I reckon I switched ye good 'n' proper," commented Mr. Kimball, a smile
playing about the corners of his mouth.
"I hear you have been selling a salt mine just as if it was ordinary
pasture land," said Mr. Vanter, to change the subject.
"Why, how'd ye know thet?" asked Mr. Kimball, in a wondering tone. "I
calalated nobody--Oh! You're th' feller Roger went to see in Syracuse,"
he cried suddenly. "I understand now. Wa'al, it ain't th' boy's fault.
He made a noble try. I took up Ranquist's offer too quick, thet's th'
hull trouble. But I needed th' money bad. In fact, here's a letter now,
tellin' me thet onless I raise th' cash by th' end a' th' week, th'
mortgage'll be foreclosed, 'n' I'll lose th' farm. By sellin' th'
spring-glade when I did, I've got nuff t' make th' payment. Ha'f a
loaf's better'n' no bread, ye know. But I s'pose I ought t' hev waited."
"When do you sign the deed?" asked Mr. Vanter. "I understand you have
given a binding agreement to sell, so it's no use trying to get out of
that."
"Why, me 'n' Mrs. Kimball are t' put our signatures on th' deed
t'-morrow," replied the farmer, "'n' I git th' balance a' th' two
thousand dollars then. Handy 'nuff it'll be, too, but I wish now it
were more. I'll be pretty heavily in debt, even arter I pay off th'
mortgage. Yes, sir, me 'n' mother here signs t'-morrow," and he motioned
to his wife who had come to the door.
At the mention of Mrs. Kimball's name in connection with signing the
deed, Mr. Vanter gave a start of surprise. He seemed to have an idea
that proved a pleasant thought, for he rubbed his hands together, and
began pacing up and down the room, as he had done when Roger saw him the
first time, in the Syracuse office.
"Tell me," said Mr. Vanter, coming toward Mr. Kimball, and speaking very
earnestly, "did Mrs. Kimball sign the agreement?"
"Why, no, she didn't, come t' think on 't," replied the farmer,
scratching his head. "She were out when Mr. Ranquist brought th' paper.
I guess she'd gone over t' Mrs. Took's. It were only a matter a' form,
havin' her sign, Ranquist said, 'n' he mentioned she could sign th'
deed. 'N' so, he bein' in a hurry, he left 'fore she got back. So th'
agreement's got only my name on 't."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at that agreement," said Mr.
Vanter, smiling as though something pleased him.
"Wa'al, I guess ye kin hev it," remarked Mr. Kimball. "'Tain't much use
t' me, seein' 's how Ranquist has a copy. But what in th' name a' th'
Cardiff giant d'ye want it fer?"
"To keep Mrs. Kimball from signing it by mistake," replied Mr. Vanter.
"How's thet? Is there any hope thet I won't hev t' deed away thet land?"
asked Mr. Kimball, in great excitement.
"Oh, no; I guess you'll have t' sign the deed, as you have agreed to,"
was the answer.
"What then?"
"Well," said the surveyor slowly, "I may think of a plan to outwit Mr.
Ranquist yet. Put on your hat and coat, and we'll go to Squire Bimmer's
office."
"Hurrah!" shouted Roger, gaily, as he saw his uncle and Mr. Vanter leave
the house. "Hurrah! Maybe it will come out right after all!"
But Mrs. Kimball, who had heard the talk, did not see how, and she was
in no happy frame of mind, over the prospect of selling the valuable
land for such a small sum.