218 THE FRONTIER MAN. 



intrusive, but, on the contrary, if homely, still excellently- 

 conducted men ; and we were always the best of friends. 

 One specimen of this style of men, as well as the state of 

 the affairs around them, will suffice ; and I will give the 

 reader a sample of our conversation, in the phraseology 

 common between us. 



" Well," I said to a frontier man seated on the pole 

 of my ambulance, " you are a likely-looking chap to 

 take your own part in a man-to-man difficulty ; but what 

 I can't understand is this. You are many of you taller 

 than I am (indeed, I used to think myself tall till I got 

 among you), but though you are twice as young as I am, 

 you have lost the roundness of muscle, you have no 

 colour, and your cheeks are hollow. What the devil has 

 been the matter with you all ? " 



" Matter, sir, I reckon ! Yes, sir, your cheeks would 

 be hollow too if you were located on our plains. It's 

 enough to kill a hoss." 



" Why, I thought the plain was the healthiest spot in 

 the world. In England we are taught to boast of your 

 Indian summer." 



" Boast ! Guess you Englishmen know much about it ! 

 We get the fever and ague here, come every summer, 

 and unless you break the head of it at first, guess it sticks 

 to you pretty close. I've my shaking day, and so has most 

 on us, as regular as you can fix it ! " 



" Well," I continued, " you had better keep your 

 selves in travelling trim, for just about now your 

 Government is to decide whether you must turn out of 

 your locations, and whether or not the land you are on 

 belongs to the Indians. Nice thing for you if you've 

 got to cut it ! " 



