by leaving
matters very adroitly at an equipoise. It was friendlier than she had
ever been in conversation, yet not so womanly as he had hoped it might
be. As he studied it, however, some subtler sense than sight detected in
its carefully compounded phrases something to feed upon, and though he
did not write in answer to it, he had a feeling that she expected him to
do so.

Meanwhile the tone of the opposition grew confident. The settlers were
convinced that Congress would accede to their wishes and remove the
Tetongs, and they began to treat the redmen with a certain good-natured
tolerance, as if to say, "Well, you'll soon be settled for, anyway."

Calvin Streeter came often to the agency, and not infrequently stayed to
dinner with Curtis, paying timid court to Jennie, who retained enough of
her girlhood's coquetry to enjoy the handsome cowboy's open-eyed
admiration, even though she laughed at him afterwards in response to her
brother's jesting. Calvin vastly improved under the stress of his desire
to be worthy of her. He caught up many of the Captain's nice mannerisms,
and handled his fork and napkin with very good grace indeed. He usually
came galloping across the flat, his horse outstretched at full speed,
his hat-rim uprolled by the wind, his gay neckerchief fluttering, his
hands holding the reins high--a magnificent picture of powerful young
manhood. As he reached the gate it was his habit to put his horse on his
haunches with one sudden, pitiless wrench on the Mexican bit and drop to
the ground, and in dramatic contrast with his approach call out in
smooth, quiet voice:

"Howdy, folks, howdy! Nice day."

These affectations pleased Jennie very much, though she finally
complained of his cruelty in reining in his horse so sharply.

"All right, miss, I won't do it no more," he said, instantly.

He quite regularly invited them to the dances given round about, and
Jennie was ready to go, but Curtis, being too deeply occupied, could not
spare the time, and that debarred Jennie, though Calvin could see no
good reason why it should. "I'll take care of you," said he, but the
girl could not trust herself to his protection.

His was not a secretive nature, and he kept Curtis very well informed as
to the feeling of the settlers, reporting, as he did, their
conversations as well as their speeches, with great freedom and
remarkable accuracy.

In this way the agent learned that the cattlemen had agreed to use
caution i