ntal gymnastics were long sustained and almost painfully
apparent before he had matters righted.

"Rogers," said Lowell to his chief clerk, on getting back to the agency
office, "how many years has Willis Morgan been in this part of the
country?"

"Willis Morgan," echoed Rogers, scratching his head. "Oh, I know now!
You mean the 'squaw professor.' He hasn't been called Morgan since he
married that squaw who died five years go. There was talk that he used
to be a college professor, which is right, I guess, from the number of
books he reads. But when he married an Indian folks just called him the
'squaw prof.' He's been out here twelve or fifteen years, I guess. Let's
see--he got those Indian lands through his wife when Jones was agent. He
must have moved off the reservation when Arbuckle was agent, just before
you came on."

"Did he always use a Greek letter brand on his cattle?"

"Always. He never ran many cattle. I guess he hasn't got any at all now.
But what he did have he always insisted on having branded with that
pitchfork brand, as the cowpunchers call it."

"I know--it's the letter Psi."

"Well, Si, or whatever other nickname it is, even the toughest-hearted
old cowmen used to kick on having to put such a big brand on critters.
That big pitchfork on flanks or shoulders must have spoiled many a hide
for Morgan, but he always insisted on having it slapped on."

"Have the Indians always got along with him pretty well?"

"Yes, because they're afraid of him and leave him alone. It ain't
physical fear, but something deeper, like being afraid of a snake, I
guess. You see he knows so damn much, he's uncanny. It's the power of
mind over matter. Seems funny to think of him having the biggest Indians
buffaloed, but he's done it, and he's buffaloed the white folks, too. He
gave it out that he wanted to be let alone, and, by jimminy, he's been
let alone! I'll bet there aren't four people in the county who have seen
his face in as many years."

"Did he have any children?"

"No. His wife was a pretty little Indian woman. He just married her to
show his defiance of society, I guess. Anyway, he must have killed her
by inches. If he had the other Indians scared, you can imagine how he
must have terrorized her. Yet I'll bet he never raised his voice above
an ordinary conversational tone."

Lowell frowned as he looked out across the agency street.

"Why, what's come up about Morgan?" asked Rogers.

"Oh, not such a lo