my desire for a farm, and after having had a chance to see Rucker he
began talking of a compromise.

"The old swindler," said he, "has all the evidence in his own hands; and
he and that red-headed spiritual partner of his will swear to anything.
As your legal adviser," said he, "and the legal adviser of your sainted
mother, I'd advise you to take anything he is willing to give--within
bounds, of course, within bounds."

So the next time Rucker sidled into the tavern, and began beslavering me
about the way the money left by my mother was being eaten up by expenses
and debts, I blurted out: "Well, what will you give me to clear out and
let you and your red-headed woodpecker alone?"

"Now," said he, "you are talking sensibly--sensibly. There is a little
farm-out near Blue Mounds that I could, by a hard struggle, let you
have; but it would be more than your share--more than your share."

This was forty acres, and would have a mortgage on it. I waited a day or
so, and told him I wouldn't take it. What I was afraid of was the
mortgage; but I didn't give my reasons. Then he came back with a vacant
lot in Madison, and then three vacant lots, which I went and looked at,
and found in a swamp. Then I told him I wanted money or farm land; and
he offered me a lead mine near Mineral Point. All the time he was
getting more and more worried and excited; he used to tremble when he
talked to me; and as the winter wore away, and the season drew nearer
when he wanted to go on his travels, or deal with the properties in
which I had found out by this time he was speculating with my mother's
money, just as everybody was speculating then, in mines, town sites,
farm lands, railway stocks and such things, he was on tenter-hooks, I