at Washington giving an account of the situation.
After this the meeting broke up, but not before all present had agreed
to stand by any of their number who should resist the troops.
When Bancroft returned home Mr. and Mrs. Conklin were still up, and he
related to them all that had taken place. The Elder rose and stretched
himself without having made a remark. In a whisper Bancroft asked Mrs.
Conklin to let him have a word with her husband. As soon as they were
alone, he began:
"Mr. Conklin, I insulted you yesterday. I am sorry for it. I hope you'll
forgive me."
"Yes," replied the Elder meditatively, overlooking the proffered hand,
"yes, that's Christian, I reckon. But the truth's the truth." Turning
abruptly to leave the room, he added: "The corn's ripe, waitin' to be
cut; ef the United States troops don't eat it all up we'll have a good
year." There was a light in his steady eyes which startled the
schoolmaster into all sorts of conjectures.
A day or two later, the Conklins and Bancroft were seated at dinner when
a knock came at the door. "Come in!" said Mrs. Conklin, and a young
officer appeared in the uniform of the United States cavalry. He paused
on the threshold, lifted his cap, and apologized for his intrusion:
"Elder Conklin, I believe?" The Elder nodded his head, but continued
eating. "My business isn't pleasant, I fear, but it needn't take long.
I'm sent by General Custer to draw the boundary line between the State
of Kansas and the Indian Reserve, to break down all fences erected by
citizens of the United States in the Territory, and to destroy such
crops as they may have planted there. I regret to say our surveyor tells
me the boundary line here is Cottonwood Creek, and I must notify you
that tomorrow about noon I shall be here to carry out my orders, and to
destroy the crops and fences found on the further side of the creek."
Before withdrawing he begged pardon again, this time for the short
notice he was compelled to give--a concession apparently to Miss
Conklin's appearance and encouraging smiles.
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