Sometime after the middle of October, he had returned
to the East. On October 24th he rode with the Meadowbrook Hunt Club
and broke his arm, riding in at the death in spite of a dangling
sleeve. A week or two later he was again in the Bad Lands.

He was a sorry sight as he arrived at Elkhorn Ranch, for his broken
arm had not been the only injury he had incurred. His face was scarred
and battered.

Bill Sewall regarded him with frank disapproval. "You're too valuable
a man to use yourself up chasing foxes," he remarked. "There's some
men that can afford to do it. There's some men that it don't make much
difference if they do break their necks. But you don't belong to that
class."

Roosevelt took the lecture without protest, giving his mentor the
impression that it had sunk in.

Roosevelt remained in the Bad Lands until after Christmas, shooting
his Christmas dinner in company with Sylvane. Before the middle of
January he was back in New York, writing articles for _Outing_ and the
_Century_, doing some work as a publisher in partnership with a friend
of his boyhood, George Haven Putnam, delivering an occasional lecture,
and now and then making a political speech. Altogether, life was not
dull for him.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, winter closed once more over the Bad Lands. The Marquis
went to France, followed by rumors disquieting to those who had high
hopes for the future of what the Marquis liked to call "my little
town." J. B. Walker, who "operated the Elk Hotel," as the phrase went,
"skipped out," leaving behind him a thousand dollars' worth of debts
and a stock of strong drink. Nobody claimed the debts, but
Hell-Roaring Bill Jones took possession of the deserted cellar and
sold drinks to his own great financial benefit, until it occurred to
some unduly inquisitive person to inquire into his rights; which
spoiled everything.

The event of real importance was the arrival of a new bride in Medora.
For early in January, 1886, Joe Ferris went East to New Brunswick; and
when he came back a month later he brought a wife with him.

It was a notable event. The "boys" had planned to give Joe and his
lady a "shivaree," such as even Medora had never encountered before,
but Joe, who was crafty and knew his neighbors, succeeded in
misleading the population of the town concerning the exact hour of his
arrival with his somewhat apprehensive bride. There was a wild
scurrying after tin pans and bell