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- Фрэнк Норрис
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- Спрут: Калифорнийская история
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- Стр. 167/416
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The
others
explained
that
they
had
come
up
from
Bonneville
the
night
before
,
as
the
Executive
Committee
of
the
League
had
received
a
despatch
from
the
lawyers
it
had
retained
to
fight
the
Railroad
,
that
the
judge
of
the
court
in
San
Francisco
,
where
the
test
cases
were
being
tried
,
might
be
expected
to
hand
down
his
decision
the
next
day
.
Very
soon
after
the
announcement
of
the
new
grading
of
the
ranchers
’
lands
,
the
corporation
had
offered
,
through
S
.
Behrman
,
to
lease
the
disputed
lands
to
the
ranchers
at
a
nominal
figure
.
The
offer
had
been
angrily
rejected
,
and
the
Railroad
had
put
up
the
lands
for
sale
at
Ruggles
’
s
office
in
Bonneville
.
At
the
exorbitant
price
named
,
buyers
promptly
appeared
—
dummy
buyers
,
beyond
shadow
of
doubt
,
acting
either
for
the
Railroad
or
for
S
.
Behrman
—
men
hitherto
unknown
in
the
county
,
men
without
property
,
without
money
,
adventurers
,
heelers
.
Prominent
among
them
,
and
bidding
for
the
railroad
’
s
holdings
included
on
Annixter
’
s
ranch
,
was
Delaney
.
The
farce
of
deeding
the
corporation
’
s
sections
to
these
fictitious
purchasers
was
solemnly
gone
through
with
at
Ruggles
’
s
office
,
the
Railroad
guaranteeing
them
possession
.
The
League
refused
to
allow
the
supposed
buyers
to
come
upon
the
land
,
and
the
Railroad
,
faithful
to
its
pledge
in
the
matter
of
guaranteeing
its
dummies
possession
,
at
once
began
suits
in
ejectment
in
the
district
court
in
Visalia
,
the
county
seat
.
It
was
the
preliminary
skirmish
,
the
reconnaisance
in
force
,
the
combatants
feeling
each
other
’
s
strength
,
willing
to
proceed
with
caution
,
postponing
the
actual
death
-
grip
for
a
while
till
each
had
strengthened
its
position
and
organised
its
forces
.
During
the
time
the
cases
were
on
trial
at
Visalia
,
S
.
Behrman
was
much
in
evidence
in
and
about
the
courts
.
The
trial
itself
,
after
tedious
preliminaries
,
was
brief
.
The
ranchers
lost
.
The
test
cases
were
immediately
carried
up
to
the
United
States
Circuit
Court
in
San
Francisco
.
At
the
moment
the
decision
of
this
court
was
pending
.
“
Why
,
this
is
news
,
”
exclaimed
Lyman
,
in
response
to
the
Governor
’
s
announcement
;
“
I
did
not
expect
them
to
be
so
prompt
.
I
was
in
court
only
last
week
and
there
seemed
to
be
no
end
of
business
ahead
.
I
suppose
you
are
very
anxious
?
”
Magnus
nodded
.
He
had
seated
himself
in
one
of
Lyman
’
s
deep
chairs
,
his
grey
top
-
hat
,
with
its
wide
brim
,
on
the
floor
beside
him
.
His
coat
of
black
broad
-
cloth
that
had
been
tightly
packed
in
his
valise
,
was
yet
wrinkled
and
creased
;
his
trousers
were
strapped
under
his
high
boots
.
As
he
spoke
,
he
stroked
the
bridge
of
his
hawklike
nose
with
his
bent
forefinger
.
Leaning
-
back
in
his
chair
,
he
watched
his
two
sons
with
secret
delight
.
To
his
eye
,
both
were
perfect
specimens
of
their
class
,
intelligent
,
well
-
looking
,
resourceful
.
He
was
intensely
proud
of
them
.
He
was
never
happier
,
never
more
nearly
jovial
,
never
more
erect
,
more
military
,
more
alert
,
and
buoyant
than
when
in
the
company
of
his
two
sons
.
He
honestly
believed
that
no
finer
examples
of
young
manhood
existed
throughout
the
entire
nation
.
“
I
think
we
should
win
in
this
court
,
”
Harran
observed
,
watching
the
bubbles
break
in
his
glass
.
“
The
investigation
has
been
much
more
complete
than
in
the
Visalia
trial
.
Our
case
this
time
is
too
good
.
It
has
made
too
much
talk
.
The
court
would
not
dare
render
a
decision
for
the
Railroad
.
Why
,
there
’
s
the
agreement
in
black
and
white
—
and
the
circulars
the
Railroad
issued
.
How
CAN
one
get
around
those
?
”
“
Well
,
well
,
we
shall
know
in
a
few
hours
now
,
”
remarked
Magnus
.
