“Well, I suppose it was an accident. We first came to Los Angeles to look around. Then we purchased an old car and started exploring. One day Arthur was at the land office for this district, going over the books, and ran across this quarter section.”
It puzzled Billy Magee.
“I see,” he said. “You located the land through the books and then you came here?”
“Yes. But we took the precaution to have a surveyor come with us. We stopped the first night at the Holman place. Do you know Mr. Holman?”
“I have seen him,” said Billy.
“I think he is very nice. He said he would do all he could for us. He said that he knew the location—that a mongrel horse thief had lived on it once but had been run out of the country. Just imagine—romance from the very start! A real horse thief—and I living in his house! Wouldn’t it be terrible if he should come back?” She laughed. “I always thought that they hanged the horse thieves from the bridges.”
Billy was itching under the skin but he held back his feelings. He said:
“Perhaps they would have hanged this fellow had they had a bridge. I have an idea that Holman would build one out of his own pocket if he could get a chance at him.”
“That’s what he said.”
Billy grinned.