"Now I'll compromise in this case, Mr. Sheriff. You discharge the rest
of your deputies and send them away, while you and Calvin remain with me
to attend a council--not to arrest anybody, but to convince yourself of
my good-will in the matter. I will not permit you to be armed nor to
arrest any of my Indians until we know what we are doing. When we secure
evidence against any man I will arrest him myself and turn him over to
you. But I insist that you send away the men in the outer office."
Calvin spoke up. "I reckon the Major's right, sheriff. How ye goin' to
arrest a man if you don't know who he is? I reckon you better do as he
says. I ain't a-lookin' fer no fuss with the agent, and the United
States army only fifty miles off."
The sheriff growled surlily. "All right, but there ain't no monkey
business about this. I get my man sooner or later, you bet your heart
on that." As he went out into the general office and announced the
agent's demand, Green blurted out defiant phrases.
"I'll be damned if I would! No--stick it out! Do? Why, take old Elk and
hold him till the tribe produces the right man--that's the way we always
done before."
The arguments of Calvin could not be heard, but at last he prevailed,
and the sullen deputies withdrew. The sheriff scrawled a hasty note to
the county attorney to explain his failure to bring his man, and the
three deputies went out to saddle up. Their cursing was forceful and
varied, but they went.
Parker, seeing them come forth, met them, inquiring anxiously:
"Well, what do you think of the situation?"