"There is no danger," he signed to Black Bull. "The white man's body has
been found near the spring. He was shot by two men with horses. The
white men are coming to see me about it, but there is no need of alarm.
Tell your people to go quietly to their camps. I will protect them."
The old chief's face grew sterner as he flung his blanket over his arm.
"I go to see," he said. "The white men are very angry."
"Wait!" called Curtis. "Keep your people quiet right where they are. You
must help me. I depend on you. You must not alarm them."
"I will do as you command," Bull replied, as he went away, but it was
plain he apprehended violence.
"What is the matter?" inquired Elsie.
"The settlers have discovered the body of the herder who was killed, and
Crow brings word they are angry. I don't think there is any danger, but
I wish you and Jennie were at the fort for a few days. I don't like to
have you disturbed by these things."
It was their first meeting alone since their return from the
camping-trip, but Elsie was too much concerned with the serious
expression of his face to feel any embarrassment.
"You don't think there will be trouble?"
"No, only a distracting wrangle, which may prevent your getting models.
The Indians are nervous, and are even now getting out for the hills. But
I hope you will not be alarmed."
"I'm not a nervous person."
"I know you're not--that is the reason I dared to come and tell you what
was going on. I deeply regret--"
Wilson rapped on the door. "Major, you are needed. Bow-legs reports two
bodies of armed men riding up the valley; the dust of their horses'
hoofs can be seen. There are at least twenty men in the two squads,"
Wilson continued; "one came across from the West Fork, the other came
from the south. It looks like a prearranged invasion."
"Very well, Wilson, I'll be at the office in time to meet them."
Curtis turned on Elsie a look which went to her heart. His voice was low
as he said: "Let me take you over to Jennie. I presume these men are
coming to make a demand on me for the murderers. They may or may not
know who the guilty ones are, but their coming in force by
prearrangement has alarmed the people."
As she laid down her brushes and took up her hat she said, gleefully:
"Father won't be able to ask me what I know about war--will he? Will
they begin shooting at once?"
"I don't think they are likely to do anything as a body, but some
reckless cowboy may do violence to some Tetong, which will rouse the
tribe to retaliation. The settlers have too much sense to incite an
outbreak." At the door he said: "I wish you would go to Jennie. Tell her
not to get excited. I will let you know what it is all about as soon as
I find out myself. It may be all a mistake."
As he was crossing the road Lawson joined him, and when they reached the
gate before the office, several of the invaders had dismounted and were
waiting the agent's coming. There were eleven of them; all were deeply
excited, and two or three of the younger men were observably drunk and
reckless. Streeter, stepping forward, introduced a short, sullen-faced
man as "Sheriff Winters, of Pinon County."
"What name?" said Curtis, as he shook hands pleasantly.
"Sheriff Winters," repeated Streeter.
"What is the meaning of all this?" queried Curtis.
"We have come for the man that killed Ed Cole. We are a committee
appointed by a convention of three hundred citizens who are holding an
inquest over the body," said Winters. "We have come for the murderer."
"Do you know who committed the murder?"
"No, but we know it was an Injun."
"How do you know it?" They hesitated. "Do you come as an officer of the
law? Have you a warrant?"
"No, I have not, but we are determined--"
"Then I deny your right to be here. Your coming is an armed invasion of
federal territory," said Curtis, and his voice rang like steel.
"Here comes the other fellers," called some one in the crowd. Turning
his head, Curtis saw another squad of men filing down over the hill from
the north. He counted them and made out fifteen. Turning sharply to the
sheriff, he asked: "Who are those men?"
"I don't know."
"Are you responsible for their coming?"
"No, sir, I am not!" the sheriff replied, plainly on the defence.
As the second squad came galloping up, the sheriff's party greeted them
with nods and low words. Curtis heard one man ask: "Where's Charley? I
thought he was coming," and became perfectly certain that this meeting
had been prearranged. The new-comers mingled with the sheriff's party
quite indistinguishably and made no further explanation of their
presence.
The young officer burned hot with indignation. "Sheriff Winters, order
these men to retire at once. They have no business here!"
A mutter of rage ran over the mob and several hands dropped
ostentatiously upon pistols.
One loud-voiced young whelp called out an insulting word. "You go
to ----! We'll retire when we get an Injun, not before!"
"Shut up, you fool!" called the sheriff, and, turning to Jenks, began to
mutter in consultation. Curtis advanced a step, and raising his voice
addressed the entire mob.
"As commander of this reservation, I order you to withdraw. Your
presence here is unlawful and menacing. Retire to the boundary of the
reservation, and I will use every effort to discover the murderer. If he
is in the tribe I will find him and deliver him to the county
authorities."
At this one of the same young ruffians who had challenged him before
spurred his horse close to Curtis, and with his pistol in his hand
shouted: "Not by a d---- sight. We come to take it out o' these thieves,
and we're goin' to do it. Go ahead, Winters--say the word and well clean
out the whole tribe."
Curtis looked the youth in the eye. "My boy, I advise you to make war
slowly, even with your mouth."
Calvin Streeter, with his teeth clinched, crowded his horse forward and
struck the insolent hoodlum in the face with his hat. "Shut up, or I'll
pinch your neck off! Think you're sheriff?" The belligerent retired,
snarling wild curses.
Curtis addressed himself again to Winters, assuming a tone of respect
and confidence which he did not feel. "Mr. Winters, you are here as a
representative of the courts of Pinon County. I call upon you, as
sheriff, to disperse all these men, who are here without warrant of
law!"
The sheriff hesitated, for the cattlemen were now furious and eager to
display their valor. Many of them were of the roughest types of cowboys,
the profane and reckless renegades of older communities, and being
burdened with ammunition, and foolhardy with drink, they were in no mood
to turn tail and ride away. They savagely blustered, flourishing their
revolvers recklessly.
The sheriff attempted to silence them, and said, petulantly, to Curtis:
"If I hadn't come you'd 'a' had a mob of two hundred armed men instead
of twenty. I had hard work to keep 'em back. I swore in these ten men as
my deputies. This second crowd I don't know anything about. They just
happen to be here."
Curtis knew this to be a lie, but proceeded to cajole the sheriff by
recognizing him and his authority.
"In that case I shall act." Addressing the leader of the second party,
he said: "Sheriff Winters is the legal representative of the county; you
are an unlawful mob, and I once more command you to leave the
reservation, which is federal territory, under my command."
"No, you don't! We stay right here!" shouted several.
"We'll see whether the people of this State have any rights or not,"
said Jenks, deeply excited. "We won't allow you to shield your murdering
redskins under such a plea; we'll be judge and jury in this case."
Curtis turned sharply to the sheriff: "Officer, do your duty! Dispose of
this mob!" His tone was magnificently commanding. "I shall hold you
responsible for further trouble," said Curtis, turning a long look on
Winters, which stung.
The sheriff angrily addressed the crowd. "Get out o' this, boys. You're
twisting me all up and doing no good. Vamoose now! I've got all the help
I need. I'm just as much obliged, but you'd better clear out." Then to
his deputies, "Round 'em up, boys, and send 'em away."
Calvin's face wore a smile of wicked glee as he called out:
"Now you fellers git!" and spurring his horse into their midst he
hustled them. "Hunt your holes! You're more bother than you are worth.
Git out o' here!"
While the sheriff and his deputies alternately pleaded and commanded the
mob to withdraw, Lawson touched Curtis on the arm and pointed to the
crests of the hills to the west. On every smooth peak a mounted sentinel
stood, silent and motionless as a figure on a monument--watching the
struggle going on before the agency gate.
"Behind every hill young warriors are riding," said Lawson. "By sundown
every man and boy will be armed and ready for battle. If these noble
citizens knew what you have saved them from they would bless you."
The mob of cattlemen retreated slowly, with many fierce oaths and a
jangle of loud debate which Curtis feared each moment might break into a
crackle of pistol shots.
"That was a good stroke," said Lawson. "It sets up division, and so
weakens them. You will be able to handle the sheriff now."