hem play down from the first; and how, all the time that he was
watching them, plans of his own were busy as shuttles in behind the
plausible eyes.

"The point," continued Wayland, "is to get fifteen-thousand sheep up
there."

"Fifteen-thousand." It was the number, not the getting there that
touched him.

"A deep stone gully runs between the Holy Cross and the bench of the
Rim Rocks," explained the Missionary. "Look--behind the cabin--you can
see where the cut runs through the timber, a notch right in the saddle
of the sky line."

"How many of those fifteen-thousand are yours, Mr. Missionary?"

The Senator was gazing down in the Valley. Just for a second, Eleanor
thought the genial look hardened and centred.

"About two-thousand, Senator! I've just brought a thousand angoras in
to see if we can't teach weaving to the Indians. It would mean a good
deal if we could teach them to be self-supporting--"

"It would mean the loss of a lot of possible patronage to this Valley,"
said the Senator absently. "Are you still determined not to accept
Government aid?"

"Absolutely sir: my work is to Christianize these Indians, not just
leave them educated savages."

"Hm," from the Senator. "What do you suppose they think we are?"

"I don't see very well how I can train them to be honest men if, out of
every dollar assigned to aid the Indian school, sixty cents goes to
Government contracts and party heelers?"

"Hm!" Moyese was stroking his bare chin with a crookt forefinger. "I
suppose if I were the story-book villain, I'd say 'yes, you must teach
'em to be honest'; but I don't. Fact is, Mr. Missionary, if you go
into the ethics of things, you're stumped the first bat: who gave us
their land, in the first place? This whole business isn't a golden
rule job: it's an iron proposition; and if I were an under-dog beaten
in the game by the law that rules all life, I'd take half a bone rather
than no meat. I make a point of never quarreling with the conditions
that existed when I came into the world. I accept 'em and make the
best of 'em; and I advise _you_ to do the same."

"You can't take the contracts of a bargain-counter to regulate the
things of the spirit, Mr. Senator."

"Oh, as for things of the spirit," deprecated the Senator, smiling the
big soft smile that lost itself down in his vest; and he spread his
broad palms in suave protest, "don't please quote spirit to me! I have
all I can do managing things r