Its protagonist, Magnus Derrick,
 leads a group of ranchers against the growth of the monopolistic railroad.
In one scene from this novel, Annixter describes his transformation to his eventual wife Hilma Tree.
 During that scene, he quotes Vanamee who himself had been violently shaken by the death of his lover
 Angele Varian. Part of this novel is told through the point of view of a poet who wrote "The Toilers" while
 living on El Rancho de los Muertos. The protagonist's son Lyman is hired as the main lawyer of a group
 called "The League" who are opposed by the machinations of S. Berhman. Its protagonist, Magnus Derrick,
 leads a group of ranchers against the growth of the monopolistic railroad. Intended as part of a trilogy with
 the novels The Pit and The Wolf, for 10 points, name this novel by Frank Norris.
In one scene from this novel, Annixter describes his transformation to his eventual wife Hilma Tree.
 
The {Octopus}: A Story of California