第93章 A SOLDIER'S HONOR(3)

Any orders that you want given, while on this military reservation, please submit them to the proper authorities, and if just, they will receive attention.What right have you or any of your friends to stop a man without due process? I spent several hours with these men a few days ago and found them to my liking.

I wish we could recruit the last one of them into our cavalry.

But if you are afraid, I'll order out a troop of horse to protect you.Shall I?""I'm not at all afraid," replied Mr.Raddiff, "but feel under obligation to protect my counsel.If you please, Colonel.""Captain O'Neill," said the commandant, turning to that officer, "order out your troop and give these conveyances ample protection from now until their return from this cattle inspection.Mr.

Lovell, if you wish to be present, please ride on ahead with your men.The rest of us will proceed at once, and as soon as the escort arrives, these vehicles will bring up the rear."As we rode away, the bugles were calling the troopers.

"That's the way to throw the gaff into them," said Sutton, when we had ridden out of hearing."Every time they bluff, call their hand, and they'll soon get tired running blazers.I want to give notice right now that the first mark of disrespect shown me, by client or attorney, I'll slap him then and there, I don't care if he is as big as a giant.We are up against a hard crowd, and we want to meet them a little over halfway, even on a hint or insinuation.When it comes to buffaloing the opposite side, that's my long suit.The history of this ease shows that the opposition has no regard for the rights of others, and it is up to us to try and teach them that a love of justice is universal.

Personally, I'm nothing but a frontier lawyer from Dodge, but I'm the equal of any lobbyist that ever left Washington City."Alkali Lake was some little distance from the post.All three of the herds were holding beyond it, a polite request having reached them to vacate the grazing-ground of the cavafry horses.Lovell still insisted that we stand aloof and give the constituted authorities a free, untrammeled hand until the inspection was over.The quartermaster and his assistants halted on approaching the first herd, and giving them a wide berth, we rode for the nearest good point of observation.The officers galloped up shortly afterward, reining in for a short conversation, but entering the first herd before the arrival of the conveyances and their escort.When the latter party arrived, the nearest one of the three herds had been passed upon, but the contractors stood on the carriage seats and attempted to look over the cordon of troopers, formed into a hollow square, which surrounded them.The troop were mounted on chestnut horses, making a pretty sight, and I think they enjoyed the folly and humor of the situation fully as much as we did.On nearing the second herd, we were met by the other boys, who had given the cattle a thorough going-over and reported finding two "Circle Dot" beeves among the opposition steers.The chances are that they had walked off a bed-ground some night while holding at Ogalalla and had been absorbed into another herd before morning.My brother announced his intention of taking them back with us, when Sponsilier taunted him with the fact that there might be objections offered.

"That'll be all right, Davy," replied Bob; "it'll take a bigger and better outfit than these pimps and tin-horns to keep me from claiming my own.You just watch and notice if those two steers don't go back with Forrest.Why, they had the nerve to question our right even to look them over.It must be a trifle dull with the GIRLS down there in Ogalalla when all these 'babies' have to turn out at work or go hungry."Little time was lost in inspecting the last herd.The cattle were thrown entirely too close together to afford much opportunity in looking them over, and after riding through them a few times, the officers rode away for a consultation.We had kept at a distance from the convoy, perfectly contented so long as the opposition were prisoners of their own choosing.Captain O'Neill evidently understood the wishes of his superior officer, and never once were his charges allowed within hailing distance of the party of inspection.As far as exerting any influence was concerned, for that matter, all of us might have remained back at the post and received the report on the commander's return.Yet there was a tinge of uncertainty as to the result, and all concerned wanted to hear it at the earliest moment.The inspection party did not keep us long in waiting, for after a brief conference they turned and rode for the contractors under escort.We rode forward, the troop closed up in close formation about the two vehicles, and the general tension rose to that of rigidity.We halted quietly within easy hearing distance, and without noticing us the commandant addressed himself to the occupants of the conveyances, who were now standing on the seats.

"Gentlemen," said he, with military austerity, "the quality and condition of your cattle places them beyond our consideration.