The great mass of the squatters were just from the other side of the river.

Sometimes a son had left a father, and crossed the river to get a claim; or a brother had left his brother, or a girl had married a young man in the neighborhood, and as the young folks were poor, they had left the old folks and had gone to seek their fortune in the new Territory.

Of course the old folks would still have a care for the young couple.

They were in easy reach of each other, and would still visit back and forth.

Now who does not see that to touch any one of these was to touch all?
It was like touching a nest of hornets.