atience and her companions were thoroughly enjoying
the episode.

"Parson, I'll have a snorter with ye," said a bewhiskered bullwhacker,
striding eagerly forward, his hand outstretched. "Go good on a mornin'
like this."

"Save some fer me, brother," called a trapper, his keen eyes twinkling.
"Allus reckoned you fellers war sort o' baby-like; but thar's th' makin'
o' a man in you." He grinned. "'Sides, we dassn't let all that likker
git up ter th' Injuns."

"Shucks!" exclaimed a raw-boned Missourian. "That's only a sample he's
takin' up ter Bellevue. He ain't worryin' none about a little bottle
like that, not with th' bar'ls they got up thar. What you boys up thar
do with all th' likker ye take off'n th' boats? Nobody ever saw none o'
it go back down th' river."

The baited inspector hurled the bottle far out into the stream and tried
to find a way out of the circle, but he was not allowed to break
through.

"You said somethin' about Leavenworth bein' careless, or wuss," said a
soldier who was going up to that post. "We use common sense, up thar.
Thar's as much likker gits past th' agencies on th' land side as ever
tried ter git past on th' river. Every man up-bound totes as much o' it
as he kin carry. Th' fur company uses judgment in passin' it out, fer it
don't want no drunken Injuns; but th' free traders don't care a rip. If
th' company ain't got it, then th' Injuns trade whar they kin git it;
an' that means they'll git robbed blind, an' bilin' drunk in th'
bargain. If I had my way, they'd throw th' hull kit of ye in th' river."

"That's right," endorsed a trapper, chuckling, and slapping the
inspector on the back with hearty strength. "You hold this hyar boat to
th' bank at Bellevue jest as long as ye kin, parson. It makes better
time than th' boys goin' over th' land, an' 'tain't fair ter th' boys.
Think ye kin hold her a hull week, an' give my pardners a chanct ter
beat her ter th' Mandan villages?" He looked around, grinning. "Them
Injuns must have a hull passel o' furs a-waitin' fer th' first trader."

"What's th' trouble here?" demanded the captain, pushing roughly through
the crowd. "What's th' trouble?"

"Nothing but the baiting of a government inspector and a wearer of the
cloth," bitterly answered the encircled minister.

"Oh," said the captain, relieved. "Wall, ye git as ye give. Are ye
through with th' hold?"

The inspector sullenly regarded him. "I think so," he answered.

The captain wheele