the detective before sunrise the next morning. When I did meet
him, everything seemed so serene that I felt jubilant over the
outlook. Sponsilier's beeves had firmly caught the fancy of the
buyers, and the delay in closing the trade was only temporary. "I
can close the deal any minute I want to," said Siringo to me,
"but we mustn't appear too anxious. Old man Don's idea was to get
about one hundred thousand dollars earnest-money in hand, but if
I can get five or ten more, it might help tide us all over a hard
winter. My last proposition to the buyers was that if they would
advance forty-five thousand dollars on the 'Apple' beeves--
Sponsilier's cattle--they might appoint, at the seller's expense,
their own foreman from Dodge to the point of delivery. They have
agreed to give me an answer this morning, and after sleeping over
it, I look for no trouble in closing the trade."

The buyers were also astir early. I met Mr. Field in the
post-office, where he was waiting for it to open. To his general
inquiries I reported everything quiet, but suggested we move camp
soon or the cattle would become restless. He listened very
attentively, and promised that within a few days permission would
be given to move out for our final destination. The morning were
the quiet hours of the town, and when the buyers had received and
gone over their large and accumulated mail, the partners came
over to the Dodge House, looking for the fiscal agent, as I
supposed, to close the trade on Sponsilier's cattle. Siringo was
the acme of indifference, but listened to a different tale. A
trusted man, in whom they had placed a great deal of confidence,
had failed to materialize. He was then overdue some four or five
days, and foul play was suspected. The wily detective poured oil
on the troubled waters, assuring them if their man failed to