years to net the stage company $10 per month.

This transaction caused the government to quit printing these books. The
governor sent directions to the Santa Fe Stage Company at Kansas City
that should more such books accumulate they might be delivered by
freight. There were no more sent.



CHAPTER XIV.

Tom Barnum Muses Over the Position the Government Will Take in Regard
to the Bed of Red River Being Suitable Resting Place for the
U.S. Mail.

After having deposited the patent office reports in their watery grave
in Red river I met and had an interview with Tom Barnum, one of the
owners of the stage line. "Billie, you devil," were his first words to
me, "been puttin' the mail in the river, be ye?" I answered, "Yes, sir."
"Well," Barnum said, "didn't you take some pretty risky chances when you
did this--are you sure you won't get us into some serious trouble?" I
told him that I believed that I had just saved his company not less than
$5000 by "dumping" that bulky trash. I told him that the company had
made complaints to the government about sending the reports into New
Mexico and that the Postmaster General had not given us the
consideration we deserved and the postmasters had also refused their
acceptance after we had "carted" them to destination. It's my firm
belief that in using the books in the manner I did they served the
United States better than they could have done any other way. I told Mr.
Barnum how ex-Governor Harney had befriended me in the matter and that I