red by bankers and intimate friends desiring to secure
stock in the company, to all of whom he turned a deaf ear, but kept
the secret. "I told the boys," said Major Seth on his return, "that
our company was a close corporation, and unless we increased the
capital stock, there was no hope of them getting in on the ground
floor."

In Dodge practical joking was carried to the extreme, both by citizens
and cowmen. One night a tipsy foreman, who had just arrived over the
trail, insisted on going the rounds with a party of us, and in order
to shake him we entered a variety theatre, where my maudlin friend
soon fell asleep in his seat. The rest of us left the theatre, and
after seeing the sights I wandered back to the vaudeville, finding the
performance over and my friend still sound asleep. I awoke him, never
letting him know that I had been absent for hours, and after rubbing
his eyes open, he said: "Reed, is it all over? No dance or concert?
They give a good show here, don't they?"

CHAPTER XIX

THE CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHOE CATTLE COMPANY

The assassination of President Garfield temporarily checked our plans
in forming the new cattle company. Kirkwood of the Interior Department
was disposed to be friendly to all Western enterprises, but our
advices from Washington anticipated a reorganization of the cabinet
under Arthur. Senator Teller was slated to succeed Kirkwood, and as
there was no question about the former being fully in sympathy with
everything pertaining to the West, every one interested in the pending
project lent his influence in supporting the Colorado man for the
Interior portfolio. Several senators and any number of representatives
were subscribers to our company, and by early fall the outlook was
so encouraging that we concluded at least to open negotiations for
a lease on the Cheyenne and Arapahoe reservation. A friendly
acquaintance was accordingly to be cultivated with the Indian agent of
these tribes. George Edwards knew him personally, and, well in advance
of Major Hunter and myself, dropped down to the agency and made known
his errand. There were already a number of cattle being held on
the reservation by squaw-men, sutlers, contractors, and other army
followers stationed at Fort Reno. The latter ignored all rights of the
tribes, and even collected a rental from outside cattle for grazing on
the reservation, and were naturally antagonistic to any interference
with their personal plans. There ha