so sorry for that nice Mr. Williams."]

The inhabitants of the Bad Lands did not greatly feel the need of
spiritual instruction, and were inclined to seek consolation, when
they needed it, in "Forty-Mile Red-Eye" rather than in theology.

"Anything or any one associated with religion or spiritual living was
shunned," Bill Dantz explained in after days, "religion being looked
on as an institution for old women and weaklings. Such traveling
evangelists and, later, regular pastors as came to the Northwest were
treated with respect, but never came within miles of the intimacy or
confidence of the cowboys. Such early congregations as clustered about
the pioneer churches were the newly arrived 'nesters' or homesteaders
of the towns; the cowboys never. There could be no possible community
of interests between book-learned men of sedentary profession and a
half-tamed, open-range horseman."

The reason, of course, was that the missionaries were fundamentally
less honest and virtuous than the gay-hearted argonauts to whom they
attempted to bring the gospel; and their patient listeners, who had no
illusions concerning their own piety, nevertheless knew it. The
preachers, moreover, were less than human. They preached interminable
sermons. Discourses lasting an hour and a half were common, and even
lengthier ones were not unusual. The parsons were hopelessly
thick-skinned, moreover, and impervious to hints. When on one
occasion, at which Sylvane was present, the congregation began to
consult their watches, the preacher, instead of bringing his sermon to
a close, exclaimed, "See here, you don't want to be lookin' at your
watches. You don't hear a sermon often."

One missionary, the representative of a certain Home Mission Society,
came to Packard, saying that he wanted to start a church in Medora,
and asking Packard for his moral support. Packard agreed that a church
might be useful and secured the baggage-room at the "depot" for an
auditorium. The man held his first services, preaching an hour and a
half.

"See here," said Packard when the performance was over, "this won't
do. You preach altogether too long."

"Well," asked the preacher, "how long shall it be?"

"Your whole service oughtn't to be longer than your sermon was."

The missionary it appeared, was eager to please. The following Sunday
he preached three quarters of an hour.

But Packard was still dissatisfied. "Cut it to fifteen minutes," he
insisted.