The Rules of the Game

  XIX

  Bob's first interest was naturally to examine these documents. He foundthem, as Oldham had said, copies whose accuracy was attested by thecopyist before a notary. They divided themselves into two classes. Thefirst traced the titles by which many small holdings had come into thehands of the corporation known as the Wolverine Company. The secondseemed to be some sort of finding by an investigating commission. Thislatter was in the way of explanation of the title records, so that byreferring from one to the other, Bob was able to trace out the processby which the land had been acquired. This had been by "colonizing," asit was called. According to Federal law, one man could take up but onehundred and sixty acres of government land. It had, therefore, been thepractice to furnish citizens with the necessary capital so to do; afterwhich these citizens transferred their land to the parent company. Thiswas, of course, a direct evasion of the law; as direct an evasion asBaker's use of the mineral lands act.

  For a time Bob was unable to collect his reasoning powers adequately toconfront this new fact. His thoughts were in a whirl. The only thingthat stood out clearly was the difference in the two cases. He knewperfectly that after Baker's effort to lift bodily from the publicdomain a large block of its wealth every decent citizen should cry,"Stop thief!" Instinctively he felt, though as yet he could not analyzethe reasons for so feeling, that to deprive the Wolverine Company of itsholdings would work a crying injustice. Yet, to all intents andpurposes, apparently, the cases were on all fours. Both Welton andBaker had taken advantage of a technicality.

  When Bob began to think more clearly, he at first laid this differenceto a personal liking, and was inclined to blame himself for letting hisaffections cloud his sense of justice. Baker was companionable, jolly,but at the same time was shrewd, cold, calculating and unscrupulous inbusiness. He could be as hard as nails. Welton, on the other hand, whilepossessing all of Baker's admirable and robust qualities, had with theman endearing and honest bigness of purpose, limited only--thoughdecidedly--by his point of view and the bounds of his practicaleducation. Baker would steal land without compunction; Welton would takeland illegally without thought of the illegality, only because everybodyelse did it the same way.

  But should the mere fact of personality make any difference in theenforcing of laws? That one man was amiable and the other not so amiablehad nothing to do with eternal justice. If Bob were to fulfil his dutyonly against those he disliked, and in favour of his friends, he hadindeed slipped back to the old days of henchman politics from which thenation was slowly struggling. He reared his head at this thought. Surelyhe was man enough to sink private affairs in the face of a stern publicduty!

  This determined, Bob thought the question settled. After a few minutes,it returned as full of interrogation points as ever. Leaving Baker andWelton entirely out of the question, the two cases still drew apart. Onewas just, the other unjust. Why? On the answer depended the peace ofBob's conscience. Of course he would resign rather than be forced toprosecute Welton. That was understood, and Bob resolutely postponedcontemplation of the necessity. He loved this life, this cause. Itopened out into wider and more beautiful vistas the further hepenetrated into it. He conceived it the only life for which he wasparticularly fitted by temperament and inclination. To give it up wouldbe to cut himself off from all that he cared for most in active life;and would be to cast him into the drudgery of new and uncongenial lines.That sacrifice must be made. It's contemplation and complete realizationcould wait. But a deeper necessity held Bob, the necessity of resolvingthe question of equities which the accident of his personal knowledge ofWelton and Baker had evoked. He had to prove his instincts right orwrong.

  He was not quite ready to submit the matter officially, but he wishedvery much to talk it over with some one. Glancing up he caught sight ofthe glitter of silver and the satin sheen of a horse. Star was comingdown through the trees, resplendent in his silver and carved leathertrappings, glossy as a bird, stepping proudly and daintily under thecurbing of his heavy Spanish bit. In the saddle lounged the tall, homelyfigure of old California John, clad in faded blue overalls, the brim ofhis disreputable, ancient hat flopped down over his lean brown face, andhis kindly blue eyes. Bob signalled him.

  "John!" he called, "come here! I want to talk with you!"

  The stately, beautiful horse turned without any apparent guiding motionfrom his master, stepped the intervening space and stopped. CaliforniaJohn swung from the saddle. Star, his head high, his nostril wide, hiseye fixed vaguely on some distant vision, stood like an image.

  "I want a good talk with you," repeated Bob.

  They sat on the same log whereon Oldham and Bob had conferred.

  "John," said Bob, "Oldham has been here, and I don't know what to do."

  California John listened without a single word of comment while Bobdetailed all the ins and outs of the situation. When he had finished,the old man slowly drew forth his pipe, filled it, and lit it.

  "Son," said he, "I'm an old man, and I've lived in this state since theearly gold days. That means I've seen a lot of things. In all that timethe two most valuable idees I've dug up are these: in the first place,it don't never do to go off half-cock; and in the second place, if youwant 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. "Iain't going to give you my notions until I've thought them over alittle; that's for me. As for you, if I was you, I'd just amble over andtalk the whole matter over with Mr. Welton and see what he thinks abouthis end of it."