The Octopus: A Story of California

Presley’s socialistic poem “The Toilers” is printed in a newspaper and becomes a rousing success, reaffirming for Presley the importance his work brings to the rancher’s struggle. He resolves to stay and chronicle their toil, flattering himself by imagining, “The struggle had found its poet” (395).

Dyke continues to ignore his farm, letting the property degrade, and spends his nights at Caraher’s saloon, drinking whiskey and leaving the care of his daughter to his mother. When drunk, Dyke grows mean and mutters ominously about “dynamite” (397).

Magnus struggles with his position as head of the League and his part in their underhanded tactics. After mistakenly omitting Los Muertos or Quien Sabe from the test cases now before the Supreme Court, Magnus inadvertently allows the Railroad to install its dummy buyers on their ranches. Magnus and the other ranchers now rely on Lyman and the commission to reduce freight rates in their favor.

Meanwhile, Annixter follows Hilma to San Francisco where he confesses his love, and they marry, spending the next few weeks in domestic bliss and furnishing their ranch with expensive Friscan wares. On their train ride back to Bonneville, the train is robbed and a rail worker shot and killed.