The Captain of the Gray-Horse TroopGarland, Hamlin
General
The Captain of the Gray-Horse Troop
Garland, Hamlin
Colorado -- Fiction; Western stories
"I am going to see the President about you, as soon as he
returns from the mountains. Papa is gaining, but takes no
interest in anything. He is pitifully weak, but the doctor
thinks he will recover if he will only rest. His brain is worn
out and needs complete freedom from care. Congress has
adjourned finally. I am told that your enemies expect to secure
a court-martial on the charge of usurping the authority of the
sheriff. Osborne says not to worry, for nothing will be done
now till the President returns, and he is confident that the
department will sustain you--the fact that the violence you
feared did actually take place has robbed your enemies of their
power."
Nevertheless, the fight against the Tetongs and himself went on with
ever-increasing rancor during July and August, and each Congressional
candidate was sharply interrogated as to his attitude towards the
removal bill. The anti-administration papers boldly said: "If we win
(and we will) we'll cut the comb of this bantam. We'll break his sabre
over his back."
To this the opposition made answer: "We're no lovers of the redman, but
Captain Curtis is an honorable soldier, doing his duty, and it will not
be easy for you, even if victorious, to order a court-martial."
This half-hearted defence gave courage to those who took the high ground
that the time for lynching had gone by. "The Tetongs have rights which
every decent man is bound to respect, no matter how much he personally
dislikes the redskin."
During the last days of August a letter came from Elsie, full of
comforting assurances, both public and private, being more intimate and
tender in tone than any that had preceded it, and full of sprightly
humor too. It began:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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