"That's why I've
never been able to leave him for any other man." She smiled shrewdly.
"I'll admit that eligible men have been scarce, and my chances have been
few. Well, I must run across and look after dinner. You're to eat with
us till you get settled. _We_ insist on being hosts this time."

* * * * *

"Surely," said Curtis, as they rose from the table, "being Indian agent
is not the grim, vexatious experience I once considered it. If the charm
of such company should get reckoned in as one of the perquisites of the
office, the crush of applicants would thicken into a riot. I find it
hard to return to my work in the office."

"Don't be hasty; we may turn out to be nuisances," responded Elsie.

XVI

THE CAMP AMONG THE ROSES

During the remainder of the day the agent found office work most
difficult. His mind wandered to other and pleasanter things, and at last
he began to make out a list of the necessaries for the camping trip.

The next day, about four o'clock, Crow Wing and Crawling Elk came into
his office bringing a young Tetong, who said he had been struck on the
head by a sheep-herder.

Curtis was instantly alert. "Sit down--all of you!" he commanded. "Now,
Yellow Hand, tell your story."

Yellow Hand, a tall and sinister-looking fellow, related his adventure
sullenly. "I was riding the line of the reservation, as Crawling Elk had
told me and as you commanded, when I came upon this sheep-man driving
his flocks across the river. I hollered to him to keep away, but he kept
on pushing the sheep into the river; then I tried to drive them back.
This made him angry and he threw a rock at me, and struck me here." He
touched his bandaged head. "I had no gun, so I came away."

"Did you throw rocks at him?" asked Curtis.

"No, I was on my horse."

"You rode among his sheep?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was wrong. You should have reported to me and I would have
sent a policeman. You must not make trouble with these men. Come to me
or report to Grayman, your head man over there. The ranchers are angry
at Washington, and we must be careful not to make them angry at us. I
will send Crow back with you and he will remove this man."

As they went out Curtis said to Wilson: "This is the second assault they
have made on our boys. They seem determined to involve us in a shooting
scrape, in order to influence Congress. We must be very careful. I am
afraid I ought not to take this camp