"
"Glad to meet you, Mr. Vandemark," said Henderson L., flaring his
nostrils, and shaking my hand till it ached. "Hope you're locating in
Monterey County. Father with you?"
"No," said I, "I am alone in the world--and this outfit is all I've
got."
"Nice outfit," said he. "Good start for a young fellow; and let me give
you a word of advice. Settle in Monterey County, as close to Monterey
Centre as you can get. People that drive through, hunting for the
earthly paradise, are making a great mistake; for this is the garden
spot of the garden of the world. This is practically, and will without a
shadow of doubt be permanently the county-seat of the best county in
Iowa, and that means the best in the known world. We are just the right
distance from the river to make this the location of the best town in
the state, and probably eventually the state capital. Land will increase
in value by leaps and bounds. No stumps, no stones, just the right
amount of rainfall--the garden spot of the West, Mr. Vandemark, the
garden spot--"
"This boy," said Pitt Bushyager, "has land already entered. I told him
you'd be able to show it to him."
"Land already entered?" he queried. "I don't seem to remember the name
of Vandemark on the records. Sure it's in this county?"
I went back to the little flat package in the iron-bound trunk, found my
deed, and gave it to him. He examined it closely.
"Not recorded," said he. "Out near Hell Slew, somewhere.
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