“Why, sure! Who else kin claim ’em?” said he.
“They stand on the fence-line, so we were not sure,” explained Natalie, showing off her newly-acquired land-learning.
“It ain’t that they’re standin’ on the survey line, but that the last farmer here used them trees fer fence-posts to nail the wire on. That saved him three hull chestnut posts, see?”
“Oh, I see!” returned Mrs. James. “But how far off the line is his fence? Are the trees inside or outside the wire fence?”
“Well, as fur as I remember now, he ran the fence about a foot this side the line-path. Your proppity ackchully goes out a foot furder on the road, but runnin’ the wire where he did, he managed to get the use outen all them trees what grow along the road. He saved ’most fifteen dollars in posts by doin’ that.”
Mrs. James studied the situation for a few moments and then said: “When was the wire fence stretched on this line?”
“Why, lemme see!” and Farmer Ames shoved his hat over one ear while he scratched his head for the necessary intelligence to beam forth. “That was the last year, before one, that he lived here.”
“Then the fence has stood on that line about three years?” persisted Mrs. James.
“Yeh, about that.”
“Well, then, I’ll tell Mr. Marvin to order you to change it. When you get time you can plan to put up posts on the right property line and remove the old wire fence.”