And they never trouble
the Justice of the Peace either. They just herd together like the
heathen."
He went on, explaining in somewhat technical language how the little
colony of squatters had contrived to keep the law at bay, and Charity,
with burning eagerness, awaited young Harney's comment; but the young
man seemed more concerned to hear Mr. Royall's views than to express his
own.
"I suppose you've never been up there yourself?" he presently asked.
"Yes, I have," said Mr. Royall with a contemptuous laugh. "The wiseacres
down here told me I'd be done for before I got back; but nobody lifted a
finger to hurt me. And I'd just had one of their gang sent up for seven
years too."
"You went up after that?"
"Yes, sir: right after it. The fellow came down to Nettleton and ran
amuck, the way they sometimes do. After they've done a wood-cutting
job they come down and blow the money in; and this man ended up with
manslaughter. I got him convicted, though they were scared of the
Mountain even at Nettleton; and then a queer thing happened.
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