and having relieved Joe of all
his responsibility, left him to his own devices, which meant painting
all the towns red that he visited on his way. We well knew that Joe
could no more resist the temptations of civilization than an old sailor
returning from a long voyage, and what we apprehended was that he might,
while in a too-convivial mood, either lose the returns, or have them
stolen from him.

The tone of the letter was so urgent that the major did not know but
that half the Republicans in St. Paul might be lying in wait to capture
him, so he did not enter the town directly, but went to Fort Snelling,
and left the returns with an officer of the army, and then proceeded to
St. Paul. When we explained to him that no one but Rice, Kittson,
Sweetzer and myself knew anything about the matter, he was relieved, but
still cautious. He waited for a few days, and then proposed to a lady to
take a ride with him to Fort Snelling. When they started home, he gave
her a bundle and asked her to care for it while he drove, which she
unsuspectingly did, and that is the way the Pembina returns of
Minnesota's first state election reached the capital. It is needless to
say how many votes they represented, but only to announce that the
election went Democratic.

Whether Tyson had any idea of doing what we suspected him of, I never
discovered, but if that was his purpose, he had a long ride for nothing,
and as our scheme terminated so successfully, I am willing to acquit him
of the charge.

A FRONTIER STORY WHICH CONTAINS A ROBBERY, TWO DESERTIONS,
A CAPTURE AND A SUICIDE.

In 1856 I was United States Indian agent for the Sioux. My agencies were
at Redwood, about thirteen miles above Fort Ridgely, and at Yellow
Medicine, on a river of that name, emptying into the Minnesota about
fifty miles above the fort. Under the treaties with these Indians the
government paid them large sums of money and great quantities of goods,
semi-annually, at the agencies. Up to a short time before the event
which I am about to relate these payments were made by the agent, but,
for some reason best known to the government, the making of the payment
was turned over to the superintendent of Indian affairs having charge of
the tribes. The manner of making these payments before the change was
this: I would receive from the superintendent, at St. Paul, the money,
in silver and gold (this being long before the days of greenbacks),
amounting to a full wag