the pizen
critters?" asked one.

"You're Miss Brisbane--we heerd you was all killed at the agency.
Weren't you scared?"

Almost contemptuously Elsie calmed their fears, and by a few questions
learned that this house had been made a rallying-point for the settlers
and that the women were just beginning to feel the depressing effects of
being so long away from their homes without rest and proper food.

"_Do_ you think we can go home now?"

"Certainly. Captain Curtis will see that you are not harmed," she
replied, and she spoke with all a wife's sense of joy and pride in her
husband.

"We've been camping here for most a week, seems like, an' we're all wore
out," wailed one little woman who had three small children to herd and
watch over.

Brisbane, inspirited by an egg-nog and a sandwich, mounted a wash-tub on
the low porch and began a speech--a suave, diplomatic utterance, wherein
he counselled moderation in all things. "We can't afford at this time to
do a rash thing," he said, and winked jovially at Johnson. "The election
coming on is, after all, the best chance for us to get back at these
fool Injun apologists. So go slow, boys--go slow!"

As these smooth words flowed from his lips Elsie burned with shame and
anger. Some newly acquired inward light enabled her to read in the
half-hearted dissuasion of her father's speech a subtle, heartless
encouragement to violence _after_ election. While the cheers were still
ringing in her ears, at the close of the address, Elsie felt a touch on
her shoulder and turned to face Calvin, standing close beside her, timid
and flushed.

She held out her hand with a swift rush of confidence.

"Why, how do you do, Mr. Streeter?"

"I'm pretty well," he said, loudly, and added, in a low voice, "I want
to see you alone." He looked about the room. The corner least crowded
was occupied by a woman nursing a wailing baby. "Come this way; she's
Norwegian; she can't understand us."

Elsie followed him, and when he spoke it was in a rapid, low mutter. "Is
the Major goin' to come with Cut Finger?"

"I'm afraid so."

"He mustn't. You know what this gang's here for?"

"What can we do? Can't we warn him?"

"Well, I'm goin' to take a sneak and try it. It's all my neck is worth
to play it on the boys; but it's got to be done, for the Major is a
fighter, and if this mob meets him there will be blood on the moon. Now
don't worry. I'm going to slide right out through the first gate I see