t ready to ride to Lang's with him
the next day for the purpose of drawing up a new contract. He had
determined to make cattle-raising his "regular business" and intended,
at once (in riotous defiance of Uncle James!), to put a thousand head
more on the range.

The Langs were situated seven miles nearer civilization than they had
been on Roosevelt's previous visit, and were living in a dugout built
against a square elevation that looked like a low fortress or the
"barrow" of some dead Viking chief. They were building a ranch-house
in anticipation of the coming of Mrs. Lang and two children, a girl of
eighteen or nineteen and a son a half-dozen years younger than
Lincoln. The dugout was already overcrowded with three or four
carpenters who were at work on the house, and Gregor Lang suggested
that they ride five miles up the river to a cabin of his on what was
known as "Sagebrush Bottom," where he and Lincoln had spent the
winter. They had moved out of the shack on the Little Cannonball for
two reasons. One was that a large cattle outfit from New Mexico, named
the Berry-Boyce Cattle Company, had started a ranch, known as the
"Three Seven," not half a mile down the river; the other was that
Gregor Lang was by disposition not one who was able to learn from the
experience of others. For it happened that, a few weeks after
Roosevelt's departure in September, a skunk had invaded the cabin and
made itself comfortable under one of the bunks. Lincoln and the
Highlander were in favor of diplomacy in dealing with the invader. But
Gregor Lang reached for a pitchfork. They pleaded with him, without
effect. The skunk retaliated in his own fashion; and shortly after,
they moved forever out of the cabin on the Little Cannonball.

Roosevelt, who recognized Gregor Lang's limitations, recognized also
that the Scotchman was a good business man. He set him to work next
morning drawing up a new contract. It called for further investment on
his part of twenty-six thousand dollars to cover the purchase of a
thousand head or more of cattle. Merrifield and Sylvane signed it and
returned promptly to the Maltese Cross.

Roosevelt remained behind. "Lincoln," he said, "there are two things I
want to do. I want to get an antelope, and I want to get a buckskin
suit."

Lincoln thought that he could help him to both. Some twenty miles to
the east lived a woman named Mrs. Maddox who had acquired some fame in
the region by the vigorous way in which sh