"And do you know who 'Henry Simonds' may be?" asked the hunter. "It's a young chap jist turned nineteen, and of course not old 'nough to pre-empt, according to law, and who hasn't lived on this claim a day in his life. There isn't a sign of a shanty on the place, and the law requires that every man must show _something_ of a house to prove that he is an actual settler. That name's a blind. This land jines Smith's, and he's been carrying on the ten-acre lot over the river, rent free; and it comes very handy for him to come in on this piece and get his saw-logs. It's government property; and all you have to do is, to put you up a cabin, and go ahead, and if Smith kicks up a fuss, jist send him to me." This revelation of duplicity on the part of Mr. Smith took the minister by surprise. It was evident that the location would be as advantageous for him as his plain-spoken guide had represented. It was defrauding the government for Smith to hold it as he did; and should he, in a legal way, take possession, no one could accuse him of wrong. But he had not come out on the frontier to promote his worldly interests; and he said to the hunter,-- "What you say is all right, I have no doubt, Mr. Jones; but it is not land that I want so much as to do good among this people; and I should not wish to do anything that would cause ill feeling." "Just as I expected," said the squatter, with a disappointed air; "and I rather think you belong to the kingdom that is not of this world. But you are stopping at Edmunds's--aren't you? Well, it's only a short piece to his cabin, and I must take the team back; but"--after thinking a moment--"if you'll take the dam on your way, you'll find Palmer there. He's a Christian, if there is one in these parts; and you can depend on him; and if you choose to talk with him a bit about this eighty-acre lot, there won't be any harm done." The minister thanked the squatter for his services, the latter saying, as he drove off,-- "Call on me agin, if you want anything in my line." As the missionary passed towards the dam, he saw the surveyors at work, dividing the town site into lots; and he paused to notice again the location. The underbrush had been carefully removed, and the cleared space--bounded on one hand by the river, and on the other by the forest, while farther away from each side stretched the smooth prairie--looked as if nature had intended it as a business centre. "How do you like our town plot?" said a voice at his side. "It is charming!" exclaimed the preacher; and, turning, he saw Mr. Palmer.