ng the authority of the
sheriff. Osborne says not to worry, for nothing will be done
now till the President returns, and he is confident that the
department will sustain you--the fact that the violence you
feared did actually take place has robbed your enemies of their
power."

Nevertheless, the fight against the Tetongs and himself went on with
ever-increasing rancor during July and August, and each Congressional
candidate was sharply interrogated as to his attitude towards the
removal bill. The anti-administration papers boldly said: "If we win
(and we will) we'll cut the comb of this bantam. We'll break his sabre
over his back."

To this the opposition made answer: "We're no lovers of the redman, but
Captain Curtis is an honorable soldier, doing his duty, and it will not
be easy for you, even if victorious, to order a court-martial."

This half-hearted defence gave courage to those who took the high ground
that the time for lynching had gone by. "The Tetongs have rights which
every decent man is bound to respect, no matter how much he personally
dislikes the redskin."

During the last days of August a letter came from Elsie, full of
comforting assurances, both public and private, being more intimate and
tender in tone than any that had preceded it, and full of sprightly
humor too. It began:

"MY DEAR SOLDIER,--I've been so busy fighting your enemies I
couldn't write a letter. I've met both the Secretary and the
commissioner--their desks are said to be full of screeds
against you--_and I've been to see the President_! He wasn't a
bit gallant, but he listened. He glowered at me (not unkindly)
while I told your story. I'm afraid I didn't phrase it very
well, but he listened. I brought out all the good points I
could think of. I said: 'Mr. President, Captain Curtis is the
most disinterested man in the Indian service. He is sacrificing
everything for his plans.' 'What are his plans?' he asked, so
abruptly that I jumped. I then spoke learnedly of irrigating
ditches and gardens; you would have laughed had you heard me,
and I said: 'If he is ordered back to his regiment, Mr.
President, these poor people will be robbed again.' 'Does Mr.
Blank, of New York, endorse Captain Curtis?' he asked. I didn't
see what this led to, but I answered that I did not know. 'He's
a friend of yours, isn't he?' he asked. 'Whom do