and intoned,
giving the interpreter a glance designed to wilt him with the words that
called for stress:

"'The proposed line will open up a country of rich _grasses_
and _ground_ and of unexcelled _hunting_. The Indians, while
still troublesome beyond the _Missouri_, are rapidly being
brought to see the advisability of remaining on the
_reservations_, and little more annoyance on their _part_
may be _apprehended_. Fort Brannon, he declares, is in the
hands of several hundred brave _fighting_ men and may be
looked upon as a place of certain _refuge_ in case of an
_outbreak_. The soldiers are proving to be such a menace to
those Indians who will not agree to reservation _life_, that
whole bands of the more savage redskins are leaving for the
_Bad Lands_ and the _rougher_ country farther _west_. No
Indian war-parties have been seen east of the big river for
_some time_. Already there is an increasing _interest_ in
_land_ along the _survey_. And it is believed that when the
last _ties_ of the _new line are laid_ there will be _few
unclaimed quarter-sections_ between the _Big Sioux_ and the
_Missouri_.'

"There!" Braden wound up. "And gradin' begun already at the
Mississippi."

"The h--l you say!"

"Believe me now, won't you? Didn't they have a bank_quit_ with
champagney? All the State big-bugs, head _sur_veyor, and so on?"

"Too bad!"

"That's what I say. And I'll say more. Of course, we was to go pardners
on this thing. So far, so good. But here you ain't did your half. And
you can't kick if I deal from now on with old man Lancaster."

Matthews understood. "By----, I done my best," he cried. "Y' can't come
any of that on _me_, Braden."

"Keep on your shirt, Nick, keep on your shirt. I looked into this thing
at Bismarck, and, under the law, you ain't got one right. Lancaster owns
that Bend. And if I pay him out of my own money, why ain't it square?"

The interpreter hung his head.

"Of course," Braden went on, "I'd rather divvy. I can see he's one of
them greedy old ducks that's hard to talk money with. Maybe you can
think up how to get the land back."

Matthews leaned close. "I had a scheme,"--he nodded south in the
direction of Medicine Mountain--"but the reds can't come. I had t' go
slow. There's women in th' fambly. Nat'lly, all the men up and down the
Muddy want t' see Lancaster stay. There's be