her baby daown with us, me 'n' her brother.
He's tuk her home ter his house ter live. He's reel well off."

Yes, the Agent had heard this; he had wondered why the widow did not
come to see him; he had expected to hear from her.

"Wall, I did hent ter her thet p'raps yer could dew something, ef she
wuz ter tell yer all abaout it; but she allowed thar wa'n't enny use in
talkin'. Ther jedge, he sed her witnessin' wouldn't be wuth nuthin' to
no jury; 'n' thet wuz what I wuz a wantin' to ask yeow, ef thet wuz so."

"Yes, that is what the lawyers here told me," said the Agent. "I was
going to have the man arrested, but they said it would be folly to bring
the case to trial. The woman's testimony would not be believed."

"Yeow've got power ter git a man punished fur sellin' whiskey to Injuns,
I notice," broke in Aunt Ri; "hain't yer? I see yeour man 'n' the
marshal here arrestin' 'em pooty lively last month; they sed 'twas yeour
doin'; yeow was a gwine ter prossacute every livin' son o' hell--them
wuz thar words--thet sold whiskey ter Injuns."

"That's so!" said the Agent. "So I am; I am determined to break up this
vile business of selling whiskey to Indians. It is no use trying to do
anything for them while they are made drunk in this way; it's a sin and
a shame."

"Thet's so, I allow ter yeow," said Aunt Ri. "Thar ain't any gainsayin'
thet. But ef yeow've got power ter git a man put in jail fur sellin'
whiskey 't 'n Injun, 'n' hain't got power to git him punished ef he goes
'n' kills thet Injun, 't sems ter me thar's suthin' cur'us abaout thet."

"That is just the trouble in my position here, Aunt Ri," he said. "I
have no real power over my Indians, as I ought to have."

"What makes yer call 'em yeour Injuns?" broke in Aunt Ri.

The Agent colored. Aunt Ri was a privileged character, but her logical
method of questioning was inconvenient.

"I only mean that they are under my charge," he said. "I don't mean that
they belong to me in any way."

"Wall, I allow not," retorted Aunt Ri, "enny more 'n I dew. They air
airnin' their livin', sech 's 'tis, ef yer kin call it a livin'. I've
been 'mongst 'em, naow, they hyar last tew weeks, 'n' I allow I've had
my eyes opened ter some things. What's thet docter er yourn, him thet
they call the Agency doctor,--what's he got ter do?"

"To attend to the Indians of this Agency when they are sick," replied
the Agent, promptly.

"Wall, thet's what I heern; thet's what yeow sed afo