As they walked back to their camp Jennie took her brother's arm:
"What is it, George?"
"I must return to the agency."
"That means we must all go?"
"I suppose so. The settlers seemed determined to make trouble. They have
had another row with Gray Man's band, and shots have been fired.
Fortunately no one was hurt. We must leave here early. Say nothing to
any of our guests till we are safely on the way home."
Elsie, walking with Lawson, was very pensive. "I begin to understand why
Captain Curtis is made Indian agent. He understands these people,
sympathizes with them."
"No one better, and if the department can retain him six years he will
have the Tetongs comfortably housed and on the road to independence and
self-respect."
"Why shouldn't he be retained?"
"Well, your father may secure re-election to the Senate next winter."
"I know," she softly answered, "he dislikes Captain Curtis."
"More than that--in order to be elected, he must pledge himself to have
Curtis put out o' the way."
"That sounds like murder," she said.
"Oh no; it's only politics--politics and business. But let's not talk of
that--let us absorb the beauty of the night. Did you enjoy the dance?"
"Very much. I am hopeless of ever painting it though--it is so full of
big, significant shadows. I wish I knew more about it."
"You are less confident than you were last year." He looked at her
slyly.
"I see more."
"And feel more?" he asked.
"Yes--I'm afraid I'm getting Captain Curtis's point of view. These
people aren't the mendicants they once seemed. The expression of some of
those faces to-night was wonderful. They are something more than tramps
when they discard their rags."
"I wish you'd come to my point of view," he said, a little irrelevantly.
"About what?"
"About our momentous day. Suppose we say Wednesday of Thanksgiving
week?"
"I thought you were going to wait for me to speak," she replied.
He caught his breath a little. "So I will--only you won't forget my gray
hairs, will you?"
"I don't think I will--not with your broad daily hints to remind me. But
you promised to be patient and--just friendly."
He ignored her sarcasm. "It would be rather curious if I _should_ become
increasingly impatient, wouldn't it? I made that promise in entire good
faith, but--I seem to be changing."
"That's what troubles me," she said. "You are trying to hurry me."
At this moment they came close to the Parkers and she did not continue.
He had given her another disturbing thought to sleep on, and that was,
"Would it hurt him much if I should now return his ring?"
Mrs. Parker was disposed to discuss the dance, but Jennie said:
"We must all go to sleep. George says we are to move early to-morrow."
* * * * *
The walls of the tent could hardly be seen when the sound of the
crackling flames again told that faithful Two Horns was feeding the
camp-fire. Crane's Voice could be heard bringing in the horses, and in a
few moments Curtis called out in a low, incisive voice:
"Everybody turn out; we must make an early start across the range."
The morning was gray, the peaks hidden in clouds, and the wind chill as
the women came from their beds. Two Horns had stretched some blankets to
keep off the blast, but still Elsie shivered, and Curtis roundly
apologized. "I'm sorry to get you up so early. It spoils all the fun of
camping if you're obliged to rise before the sun. An hour from now and
all will be genial. Please wait for my explanation."
Breakfast was eaten in discomfort and comparative silence, though
Parker, with intent to enliven the scene, cut a few capers as awkward as
the antics of a sand-hill crane. Almost before the smoke of the tepee
fires began to climb the trees the agent and his party started back over
the divide towards the mill, no one in holiday mood. There was a certain
pathos in this loss of good cheer.
Once out of sight of the camp, Curtis turned and said: "Friends, I'm
sorry to announce it, but I must return to the agency to-night and I
must take you all with me. Wilson has asked me to hasten home, and of
course he would not do so without good reason."
"What is the matter?" asked Elsie.
"The same old trouble. The cattlemen are throwing their stock on the
reservation and the Tetongs are resenting it."
"No danger, I hope," said Parker, pop-eyed this time with genuine
apprehension.
"Oh no--not if I am on hand to keep the races apart. Now I'm going to
drive hard, and you must all hang on. I want to pull into the agency
before dark."
The wagon lurched and rattled down the divide as Curtis urged the horses
steadily forward. With his foot in the brake, he descended in a single
hour the road which had consumed three long hours to climb. Conversation
under these conditions was difficult and at times impossible.
Jennie, intrepid driver herself, clutched her brother's arm at times, as
the vehicle lurched, but Curtis made it all a joke by shouting, "It is
always easy to slide into Hades--the worst is soon over."
Once in the valley of the Elk the road grew better, and Curtis asked
Elsie if she wished to drive. She, being very self-conscious for some
reason, shook her head, "No, thank you," and rode for the most part in
silence, though Lawson made a brave effort to keep up a conversation.
By eleven o'clock not even Curtis and Lawson together could make the
ride a joke. The women were hungry and tired, and distinctly saddened by
this sudden ending of their joyous outing.
"I wish these rampant cowboys could have waited till we had our
holiday," Jennie grumbled, as she stretched her tired arms.
"Probably they were informed of the Captain's plans and seized the
opportunity," suggested Parker.
"I wonder if Cal is a traitor?" mused Jennie.
Two Horns and Crane's Voice came rattling along soon after Curtis
stopped for noon at their first camping-place, and in a few minutes
lunch was ready. Conversation still lagged in spite of inspiriting
coffee, and the women lay out on their rugs and blankets, resting their
aching bones, while the men smoked and speculated on the outcome of the
whole Indian question.
The teams were put to the wagons as soon as their oats were eaten and
the homeward drive begun, brisk and business-like, and for some
mysterious reason Curtis recovered his usual cheerful tone.
It was mid-afternoon when the agency was sighted, and the five-o'clock
bell had just rung as they drove slowly and with no appearance of haste
into the yard.