s, with some
bitterness. "Those military posts are good for nothin' but to run to
in case of trouble. No soldiers can get out into the plains from any
of them quick enough to catch the slowest Indian of the lot."

Charlie was unwilling to disagree with anything that Younkins said,
for he had the highest respect for the opinions of this experienced
old plainsman. But he couldn't help reminding him that it would take a
very big army to follow up every stray band of Indians, provided any
of the tribes should take a notion to go on the warpath.

"Just about this time, though, the men that were stationed at Fort
Riley are all down at Lawrence to keep the free-State people from
sweeping the streets with free-State brooms, or something that-a-way,"
said Younkins, determined to have his gibe at the useless soldiery, as
he seemed to think them. Oscar was interested at once. Anything that
related to the politics of Kansas the boy listened to greedily.

"It's something like this," explained Younkins. "You see the
free-State men have got a government there at Lawrence which is lawful
under the Topeka Legislator', as it were. The border-State men have
got a city government under the Lecompton Legislatur'; and so the two
are quarrelling to see which shall govern the city; 'tisn't much of a
city, either."

"But what have the troops from Fort Riley to do with it? I don't see
that yet," said Oscar, with some heat.

[Illustration: A GREAT DISASTER.]

"Well," said Younkins, "I am a poor hand at politics; but the way I
understand it is that the Washington Government is in favor of the
border-State fellows, and so the troops have been sent down to stand
by the mayor that belongs to the Lecompton fellows. Leastways, that is
the way the sutler down to the post put it to me when I was down there
with the folks that were fired on up to Buffalo Creek; I talked with
him about it yesterday. That's why I said they were at Lawrence to
prevent the streets being swept by free-State brooms. That is the
sutler's joke. See?"

"That's what I call outrageous," cried Oscar, his eyes snapping with
excitement. "Here's a people up here on the frontier being massacred
by Indians, while the Government troops are down at Lawrence in a
political quarrel!"

The boys were so excited over this state of things that they paid very
little attention to anything else while on their way back to the
cabin, full of the news of the day. Usually, there was not much n