Part 2

CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................... xxv

Chapter I. Arrival -- Little Missouri -- A game country -- Joe Ferris -- The trail to Chimney Butte -- The three Canadians -- The buckskin mare ................................ 3

Chapter II. Gregor Lang -- The Vine family -- The buffalo hunt -- The argonauts -- Politics -- The passing of the buffalo -- Pursuit -- The charge of the buffalo -- Broken slumbers -- Failure -- "It's dogged that does it" -- Roosevelt makes a decision -- He acquires two partners -- He kills his buffalo ............................................ 18

Chapter III. Jake Maunders -- The "bad men" -- Archie the precocious -- County organization -- The graces of the wicked ....................................................... 47

Chapter IV. Marquis de Mores -- Founding of Medora -- The machinations of Maunders result in bloodshed -- The boom begins -- The Marquis in business -- Roosevelt returns East -- The Marquis's idea -- Packard -- Frank Vine's little joke -- Medora blossoms forth -- The Marquis has a new dream -- Joe Ferris acquires a store -- Roosevelt meets disaster -- Invasion -- Roosevelt turns West ............................. 58

Chapter V. "I will not be dictated to!" -- George Myers -- Mrs. Maddox -- The Maltese Cross -- On the round-up -- "Hasten forward quickly there!" -- Trying out the tenderfoot -- A letter to "Bamie" -- The emerald biscuits ............... 89

Chapter VI. The neighbors -- Mrs. Roberts -- Hell-Roaring Bill Jones -- A good man for "sassing" -- The master of Medora -- The Marquis's stage-line -- The road to Deadwood -- The Marquis finds a manager .............................. 108

Chapter VII. The gayety of Medora -- Holocaust -- Influence of the cowboy -- Moulding public opinion -- The "Bastile" -- The mass meeting -- The thieves -- The underground railway -- Helplessness of the righteous -- Granville Stuart -- The three argonauts ............................................. 123

Chapter VIII. The new ranch -- The bully at Mingusville -- The end of the bully -- Dakota discovers Roosevelt -- Stuart's vigilantes -- Sewall and Dow -- Mrs. Lang -- Sewall speaks his mind -- Enter the Marquis ........................ 148

Chapter IX. "Dutch Wannigan" -- Political sirens -- "Able to face anything" .............................................. 167

Chapter X. The start for the Big Horns -- Roosevelt writes home -- A letter to Lodge -- Indians -- Camp in the mountains -- Roosevelt gets his bear ........................ 175

Chapter XI. Rumblings from the Marquis -- The "stranglers" -- The band of "Flopping Bill" -- Fifteen marked men -- Maunders the discreet -- Sewall receives callers ............ 189

Chapter XII. "Medicine Buttes" -- Roosevelt returns to Elkhorn -- Maunders threatens Roosevelt -- Packard's stage-line -- The dress rehearsal -- Another bubble bursts ................ 202

Chapter XIII. Bleak camping -- Roosevelt "starts a reform" -- The deputy marshal -- Winter activities -- Breaking broncos -- A tenderfoot holds his own -- Wild country -- Mountain sheep -- The stockmen's association ................ 215

Chapter XIV. Winter misery -- Return to Medora -- Illness and recovery -- Mingusville -- "He's drunk and on the shoot" -- The seizure of Bill ...................................... 235

Chapter XV. The spring of 1885 -- Swimming the Little Missouri -- Ranching companions -- Golden expectations -- The boss of the Maltese Cross -- The buttermilk -- Hospitality at Yule -- Lang's love of debate -- Nitch comes to dine ..................................................... 248

Chapter XVI. Cattle torture -- Trailing cattle -- Roosevelt's horsemanship -- Gentling the Devil -- The spring round-up -- The first encampment -- The day's work -- Diversions -- Profanity -- "Fight or be friends" ............ 266

Chapter XVII. The "mean" horse -- Ben Butler -- Dr. Stickney -- Dinner with Mrs. Cummins -- The stampede -- Roping an earl's son -- A letter to Lodge -- Sylvane's adventure -- Law ......................................................... 286

Chapter XVIII. Sewall's skepticism -- Interview at St. Paul -- The womenfolks -- The Elkhorn "Outfit" -- The Wadsworths' dog ......................................................... 305

Chapter XIX. Medora -- "Styles in the Bad Lands" -- The coming of law -- The preachers -- Packard's parson -- Johnny O'Hara ...................................................... 318

Chapter XX. De Mores the undaunted -- Genealogy of the Marquis -- Roosevelt and the Marquis -- Hostility -- The first clash -- Indictment of the Marquis -- The Marquis's trial -- The Marquis sees red -- Peace ...................... 331

Chapter XXI. Red man and white -- Roosevelt's adventure -- Good Indian, dead Indian -- Prairie fires -- Sewall delivers a lecture -- The testing of Mrs. Joe -- Mrs. Joe takes hold ... 350

Chapter XXII. The theft of the boat -- Redhead Finnegan -- Preparations for pursuit -- Departure -- "Hands up!" -- Capture of the thieves -- Marooned -- Cross country to jail -- Arrival in Dickinson -- "The only damn fool" ............. 365

Chapter XXIII. Medora's first election -- The celebration -- Miles City meeting -- Roosevelt's cattle prospects -- "His upper lip is stiff" -- Completing "Benton" -- The summer of 1886 -- Influence over cowboys -- "A Big Day" -- Oratory -- Roosevelt on Americanism -- "You will be President" ......... 387

Chapter XXIV. A troop of Rough Riders -- Premonitions of trouble -- The hold-up -- The Coeur d'Alenes -- Hunting white goats -- John Willis -- Elkhorn breaks up -- Facing east ........................................................ 412

Chapter XXV. The bad winter -- The first blizzard -- Destruction of the cattle -- The spring flood -- The boneyard .................................................... 429

Chapter XXVI. Roosevelt's losses -- Morrill vs. Myers -- Roosevelt takes a hand -- A country of ruins -- New schemes of the Marquis -- The fading of Medora ...................... 440