The proceedings seemed so atrocious that at first no one could understand the Sheriff.
“Do you mean to say that Peter Roper claims to own our house, and because he is the owner, has taken out the furniture and left it lying on the road?” asked George.
“Yes; that's what I was told to say,” the Sheriff replied.
“But why? How is he the owner of our house?”
“Because he and Gasbang bought it from Hogsden, who located a claim there after you abandoned the place.”
The trick was infamous. George and Gabriel saw through it. There was nothing to do but to bring a suit in ejectment to get rid of them, but in the meantime they would hold possession (perhaps for years), and that was what they wanted, to get the property into litigation.
Gabriel went to state the matter to the lawyer who had attended to Mr. Mechlin's law business, and he corroborated their opinion, that there was no other course to pursue but to file a complaint in ejectment to dispossess the thieves.
“Is there no quicker way to obtain redress?” George asked.
“No, sir,” the lawyer answered; “as the deed is done by Peter Roper and John Gasbang, the Judge will decide in their favor, and you will have to appeal.”
“But this is atrocious,” Mr. Lawrence Mechlin said; “Do you mean to say that people's houses can be taken like that in this country?”