The Little Lady of The Big House by Jack London Chapter 15 Page 9

“Every petty bandit from Huerta down to the last peon who’s stolen a horse has gouged us. It’s getting too stiff — taxes extraordinary — bandits, revolutionists, and federals. We could survive it, if only the end were in sight; but we have no guarantee that this disorder may not last a dozen or twenty years.”

“Just the same, the old Harvest — think of flooding her!” the superintendent protested.

“And think of Villa,” Dick replied, with a sharp laugh the bitterness of which did not escape Paula. “If he wins he says he’s going to divide all the land among the peons. The next logical step will be the mines. How much do you think we’ve coughed up to the constitutionalists in the past twelvemonth?”