“No, I'm not. Am I, mamma?” asked Willie.
“I hope not, my dear. If I thought any one in this family were to deserve such a name I would not have come down to this place,” Mrs. Darrell replied.
“What is a squatter, anyhow, mamma?” Clementine inquired.
“A squatter is a person who locates a land claim on land that belongs to some other person,” Mrs. Darrell explained.
“On land that other persons say belongs to them, but which land, as no one knows to whom it belongs, it is free to be occupied by any American citizen,” Mr. Darrell added with emphasis.
“There you are again mixing the wilful squatter with the honest settler, who pre-empts his land legitimately. The dividing line between the squatter and the settler is very clear to any one who honestly wants to see it,” Mrs. Darrell said, and three or four of her children started to explain how well they did see that line.
“It is as plain as the nose on your face,” Willie's voice said in a high key. “The honest settler only pre-empts government land, but the squatter goes into anybody's land before he knows who has title.”
“Bravo!” cried Everett; “you got it straight this time.”
“Then a squatter is a land thief?” Clementine inquired.
“That is a severe term,” Alice observed.