the outlet-第59章

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g　is　said　about　the　quality　of　the　cattle；　just　so　the　pounds　avoirdupois　are　there。　The　government　does　not　presume；　when　contracting　for　Texas　cattle；　that　they　will　arrive　here　in　perfect　order；　but　so　long　as　the　sex；　age；　and　weight　have　been　complied　with；　there　can　be　no　evasion　of　the　contract。　My　clients　are　sub…contractors；　under　an　assignment　of　the　original　award；　are　acting　in　good　faith　in　making　this　tender；　and　if　your　decision　is　against　them；　we　will　make　an　appeal　to　the　War　Department。　I　am　not　presuming　to　tell　you　your　duty；　but　trust　you　will　take　this　matter　under　full　advisement　before　making　your　decision　final。〃

〃Mr。　Y；　I　have　received　cattle　before　without　any　legal　advice　or　interference　of　higher　authority。　Although　you　have　ignored　his　presence；　there　is　another　man　here　with　a　tender　of　beef　who　is　entitled　to　more　than　passing　consideration。　He　holds　a　sub…contract　under　the　original　award；　and　there　is　no　doubt　but　he　is　also　acting　in　good　faith。　My　first　concern　as　a　receiving　agent　of　this　government　is　that　the　goods　tendered　must　be　of　the　first　quality。　Your　cattle　fall　below　our　established　standards　here；　while　his　will　take　rank　as　the　finest　lot　of　beeves　ever　tendered　at　this　post；　and　therefore　he　is　entitled　to　the　award。　I　am　not　going　to　stand　on　any　technicalities　as　to　who　is　legally　entitled　to　make　this　delivery；　there　have　been　charges　and　counter…charges　which　have　reached　me；　the　justice　of　which　I　cannot　pass　on；　but　with　the　cattle　it　is　quite　different。　I　lack　but　five　years　of　being　retired　on　my　rank；　the　greater　portion　of　which　service　has　been　spent　on　this　frontier；　and　I　feel　justified　in　the　decision　made。　The　government　buys　the　best；　insists　on　its　receiving　agents　demanding　the　same；　and　what　few　remaining　years　I　serve　the　flag；　there　will　be　no　change　in　my　policy。〃

There　was　a　hurried　conference。　The　〃majordomo〃　was　called　into　the　consultation；　after　which　the　congressman　returned　to　the　attack。

〃Colonel；　you　are　forcing　us　to　make　a　protest　to　the　War　Department。　As　commander　at　Fort　Buford；　what　right　have　you　to　consider　the　tender　of　any　Tom；　Dick；　or　Harry　who　may　have　cattle　to　sell？　Armed　with　an　assignment　of　the　original　award；　we　have　tendered　you　the　pounds　quantity　required　by　the　existing　contract；　have　insisted　on　the　acceptance　of　the　same；　and　if　refused；　our　protest　will　be　in　the　War　Office　before　that　sun　sets。　Now；　my　advice　is　〃

〃I　don't　give　a　damn　for　you　nor　your　advice。　My　reputation　as　a　soldier　is　all　I　possess；　and　no　man　can　dictate　to　nor　intimidate　me。　My　past　record　is　an　open　book　and　one　which　I　am　proud　of；　and　while　I　have　the　honor　to　command　at　Fort　Buford；　no　threats　can　terrify　nor　cause　me　to　deviate　from　my　duty。　Captain　O'Neill；　attend　orders　and　escort　these　vehicles　back　to　their　quarters。〃

The　escort　loosened　out；　the　conveyances　started；　and　the　inspection　was　over。　We　were　a　quiet　crowd；　though　inwardly　we　all　felt　like　shouting。　We　held　apart　from　the　military　party；　and　when　near　the　herd　which　held　the　〃Circle　Dot〃　steers；　my　brother　and　a　number　of　the　boys　galloped　on　ahead　and　cut　out　the　animals　before　our　arrival。　On　entering　the　wagon…road　near　the　post；　the　military　cavalcade　halted　a　moment　for　us　to　come　up。　Lovell　was　in　the　lead；　and　as　we　halted　the　commandant　said　to　him：　〃We　have　decided　to　receive　your　cattle　in　the　morning　about　ten　o'clock　if　that　hour　will　be　convenient。　I　may　not　come　over；　but　the　quartermaster's　Mr。　Sanders　will　count　for　us；　and　you　cowmen　ought　to　agree　on　the　numbers。　We　have　delayed　you　a　day；　and　if　you　will　put　in　a　bill　for　demurrage；　I　will　approve　it。　I　believe　that　is　all。　We'll　expect　you　to　spend　the　night　with　us　at　the　post。　I　thought　it　best　to　advise　you　now；　so　that　you　might　give　your　men　any　final　orders。〃



CHAPTER　XXIII。　KANGAROOED

Lovell　and　his　attorneys　joined　the　cavalcade　which　returned　to　the　post；　while　we　continued　on　south；　fording　the　Missouri　above　Forrest's　camp。　The　two　recovered　beeves　were　recognized　by　their　ranch　brands　as　belonging　in　Bee　County；　thus　identifying　them　as　having　escaped　from　Bob　Quirk's　herd；　though　he　had　previously　denied　all　knowledge　of　them。　The　cattle　world　was　a　small　one；　and　it　mattered　little　where　an　animal　roamed；　there　was　always　a　man　near　by　who　could　identify　the　brand　and　give　the　bovine's　past　history。　With　the　prospects　bright　for　a　new　owner　on　the　morrow；　these　two　wayfarers　found　lodgment　among　our　own　for　the　night。

But　when　another　day　dawned；　it　brought　new　complications。　Instead　of　the　early　arrival　of　any　receiving　party；　the　appointed　hour　passed；　noon　came；　and　no　one　appeared。　I　had　ridden　down　to　the　lower　camps　about　the　latter　hour；　yet　there　was　no　one　who　could　explain；　neither　had　any　word　from　the　post　reached　Forrest's　wagon。　Sponsilier　suggested　that　we　ride　into　Buford；　and　accordingly　all　three　of　us　foremen　started。　When　we　sighted　the　ford　on　the　Missouri；　a　trio　of　horsemen　were　just　emerging　from　the　water；　and　we　soon　were　in　possession　of　the　facts。　Sanders；　my　brother；　and　Mike　Sutton　composed　the　party；　and　the　latter　explained　the　situation。　Orders　from　the　War　Department　had　reached　Fort　Buford　that　morning；　temporarily　suspending　the　post　commander　and　his　quartermaster　from　receiving　any　cattle　intended　for　that　post；　and　giving　notice　that　a　special　commissioner　was　then　en　route　from　Minneapolis　with　full　authority　in　the　premises。　The　order　was　signed　by　the　first　quartermaster　and　approved　by　the　head　of　that　department；　there　was　no　going　behind　it；　which　further　showed　the　strength　that　the　opposition　were　able　to　command。　The　little　attorney　was　wearing　his　war…paint；　and　we　all　dismounted；　when　Sanders　volunteered　some　valuable　points　on　the　wintering　of　Texas　cattle　in　the　North。　Sutton　made　a　memorandum　of　the　data；　saying　if　opportunity　offered　he　would　like　to　submit　it　in　evidence　at　the　final　hearing。　The　general　opinion　was　that　a　court　of　inquiry　would　be　instituted；　and　if　such　was　the　case；　our　cause　was　not　by　any　means　hopeless。

〃The　chances　are　that　the　opposition　will　centre　the　fight　on　an　assignment　of　the　original　contract　which　they　claim　to　hold；〃　said　the　lawyer；　in　conclusion。　〃The　point　was　advanced　yesterday　that　we　were　intruders；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　the　government　was　in　honor　bound　to　recognize　its　outstanding　obligation；　no　matter　in　whose　hands　it　was　presented；　so　long　as　it　was　accompanied　by　the　proper　tender。　A　great　deal　will　depend　on　the　viewpoint　of　this　special　commissioner；　he　may　be　a　stickler　for　red　tape；　with　no　concern　for　the　service；　as　were　the　post　commander　and　quartermaster。　Their　possession　of　the　original　document　will　be　self…evident；　and　it　will　devolve　on　us　to　show　that　that　assignment　was　illegal。　This　may　not　be　as　easy　as　it　seems；　for　the　chances　are　that　there　may　be　a　dozen　men　in　the　gang；　with　numerous　stool…pigeons　ready　and　willing　to　do　their　bidding。　This　contract　may　demonstrate　the　possibility　of　a　ring　within　a　ring；　with　everything　working　to　the　same　end。　The　absence　of　Honest　John　Griscom　at　this　delivery　is　significant　as　proving　that　his　presence　at　Dodge　and　Ogalalla　was　a　mistake。　You　notice；　with　the　exception　of　Field　and　Radcliff；　they　are　all　new　men。　Well；　another　day　will　tell　the　story。〃

The　special　commissioner　could　not　arrive　before　the　next　morning。　An　ambulance；　with　relay　teams；　had　left　the　post　at　daybreak　for　Glendive；　and　would　return　that　night。　Since　the　following　promised　to　be　a　decisive　day；　we　were　requested　to　bring　every　available　man　and　report　at　Fort　Buford　at　an　early　hour。　The　trio　returned　to　the　post　and　we　foremen　to　our　herds。　My　outfit　received　the　news　in　anything　but　a　cheerful　mood。　The　monotony　of　the　long　drive　had　made　the　men　restless；　and　the　delay　of　a　single　day　in　being　finally　relieved；　when　looked　forward　to；　was　doubly　exasperating。　It　had　been　over　six　months　since　we　left　the　ranch　in　Medina；　and　there　was　a　lurking　suspicion　among　a　number　of　the　boys　that　the　final　decision　would　be　against　our　cattle　and　that　they　would　be　thrown　back　on　our　hands。　There　was　a　general　anxiety　among　us　to　go　home