WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS. 



169 



man at that, cast his eyes in her direc- 

 tion? 



About that time some malign spirit 

 put in Halsey's head an idea that the 

 runty, grass-fed Indian ponies would 

 make capital polo ponies, and as with 

 him action trod on the heels of 

 thought, he at once set about gather- 

 ing in a number. Ricketts, the 

 agency butcher, as a dependable man 

 was consulted. 



"You want to see Yellow Wolf," 

 the latter declared, readily. "He's 

 got just what you want, but I'd best 

 go with you, as the old cuss '11 cheat 

 the hair offen your head," he con- 

 cluded, not intimating that he accom- 

 panied the buyer in order to secure a 

 share of the profits from the seller. 



Yellow Wolf was the father of 

 Long Hair, the heroine of the candy 

 squabble, and the first time Halsey 

 went to his lodge he was left alone 

 with the girl. Of course, Straight 

 Oak took that very moment to dash 

 by and behold them. In fact, he saw 

 them every time they were together, 

 which was frequently, the transaction 

 being considerably prolonged, not, as 

 the lover believed, on account of 

 Long Hair, but because of another 

 member of the family. 



When the New Yorker first visited 

 the pony herd he found it in charge 

 of a bright lad of 13 or 14 years, who 

 handled it with the skin' and ease of a 

 man. Pyne was a born reformer, so 

 ne instantly conceived a plan to send 

 the young herder to an Eastern 

 school. He mentioned this scheme to 

 Ricketts. 



"Not on your life, my friend," re- 

 sponded that worthy; "unless you 

 want to see the old man foam at the 

 mouth. The last time they tried to 

 take his kids away he took to the hills 

 for a year. Anyway, pardner, keep 

 mum till the deal is over," he con- 

 cluded, concerned about the good 

 thing in his hand. Halsey, however, 

 could not keep silent. 



Yellow Wolf did not foam at the 



mouth when the subject was 

 broached, but by the fierce energy 

 of his refusal he startled and, to tell 

 the truth, frightened our friend. The 

 father found himself in a difficult po- 

 sition. He did not want to forego 

 the great profits he was making. On 

 the other hand, he feared to remain at 

 the agency lest he lose his child. 

 Pyne, with characteristic liberality, 

 was always making the children 

 bloom like a neglected garden with 

 garish finery from the trader's store, 

 and filling them with the edible deli- 

 cacies thereof, which caused White 

 Dove, the mother, sensible of these 

 advantages, to array herself against 

 her husband, knowing that he would 

 not consent to part with his son. 

 Thus was division created in a pre- 

 viously united wigwam. The har- 

 assed old chief did not keep his per- 

 plexities to himself, and as a conse- 

 quence uneasiness and alarm replaced 

 quiet and content at a peaceful 

 agency. 



All this while Straight Oak, wrap- 

 ped up to his eyes in a blanket, 

 stalked silent and suffering among his 

 fellows brooding on vengeance. 

 Driven to despair, he once ap- 

 proached Long Hair as she sat before 

 the lodge door, but hardly was the 

 greeting over when White Dove flew 

 out and drove him away, soundly be- 

 rating the ponyless lover for prowling 

 around her cote, an unwise proceed- 

 ing on her part. 



One evening at dinner, Mr. Pyne 

 remarked oratorically : 



"You army men have a good deal 

 to learn in your treatment of Indians. 

 You don't view them as individuals. 

 Now I have seen something of Yel- 

 low Wolf and have gained his confi- 

 dence sufficiently to influence him. 

 He knows I have his interest at heart 

 and trusts me." Some discussion 

 followed, but it was not pertinent. 



A few hours later, as the East was 

 brightening, Yellow Wolf, wildly ex- 

 cited, was halted at the guard-house 



