h hard and bring me word what you discover?"

One by one they muttered, "Ay!" and Curtis added, heartily: "That is
good--now you may go."

"I want to say a word," said the sheriff.

"Not now," replied Curtis. "These people are in my charge. Whatever is
said to them I will say," and at his gesture they rose, and Crow,
Standing Elk, and Lone Man went soberly out into the night.

Grayman approached Curtis and took his hand in both of his and pressed
it to his breast. "Little Father, I have heard your words; they are not
easy to follow, but they have entered my heart. No white man has ever
spoken to me with your tongue. You do not lie; your words are soft, but
they stand like rocks--they do not melt away. My words shall be like
yours--they will not vanish like smoke. What I have promised, that I
will fulfil." As he spoke his slight frame trembled with the intensity
of his emotion, and his eyes were dim with tears, and his deep, sweet
voice, accompanying his gestures, thrilled every soul in the room. At
the end he dropped the agent's hand and hastened from the house like one
afraid of himself.

Curtis turned to Lawson to hide his own emotion. "Mr. Lawson, I assume
the sheriff is as tired as the rest of us; will you show him the bed you
were kind enough to offer?"

"Sheriff Winters, if you will come with me I'll pilot you to a couch. It
isn't downy, but it will rest a tired man. Calvin, you are to bunk
alongside."

"All right, professor." Calvin rose reluctantly, and as he stood in the
door he said, in a low voice, to Jennie, "Now if you want me any time
just send for me."

"Hold the sheriff level--that's what you do for us."

"I'll see that he don't get gay," he replied, and his hearty confidence
did them all good.

After the sheriff and his deputy went out, Elsie said: "Oh, it was
wonderful! That old man who spoke last must be the Edwin Booth of the
tribe. He was superbly dramatic."

"He took my words very deeply to heart. That was Grayman, one of the
most intelligent of all my head men; but he has had a great deal of
trouble. He comprehends all too much of the tragedy of his situation."

Elsie sat with her elbows on the table, gazing in silence towards the
empty fireplace. She looked weary and sad.

Curtis checked himself. "I regret very deeply the worry and discomfort
all this brings upon you."

"Oh, I'm not thinking of myself this time, I am thinking of the hopeless
task you have set yourself. You can't