Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-03-04
CHAPTER xx.-continued.

Il will tell you, Nicholas said he at
last, wheeling swiftly upon me. Start
next week, An army of settlers waits
now for a leader along the Missouri.
Organize them; lead them out! Give
them enthusiasm! Tell them what
Oregon is, You may serve alike our
party and our nation. You cannot
measure the consequences of prompt
action sometimes, done by man who
is resolved upon the right A thou
sand things may hinge on this. A
great future may hinge upon it,
While you have been busy, have
not been idle he continued. 81 have
here another little paper which have
roughly drafted" He handed me the
document as he spoke.
"A treaty-with Texas!" ex-
claimed.
The first draft. Xes. We have
signed the memorandum We await
only one other signature"
"Of Van Zandt!"
Yes. Now comes Mr.. Nicholas
Trist with word of a certain woman
to the effect that Mr.. Van Zandt is
playing also with England
And that woman also is playing
with England
But she has gone" said I, who
knows where? She, too, may have
sailed for Oregon. for all we know
He looked at me as though with a
flash of inspiration. THAT may be"
said he; lit may very well be, That
would cost us our hold over Paken-
ham. Neither would we have any
| chance left with her.
How do you mean, Mr.. Calhoun"
said l. Il do not understand you"
Nicholas" said Mr. Calhoun, that
lady was much impressed with you"
He regarded me calmly, contempla-
| lively. appraisingly.
4 do not understand you," / reiter-
ated
Il am glad that you do not and
| did not In that case, all would have
been over at once. You would never
have seen her a second time. Your
! consistency was our salvation, and per-
haps your own. In due time you will
see many things more plainly. Mean
| time, be sure England will be careful
| She will make no overt movement,
| should say, until she has heard from
Oregon; which will not be before my
lady baroness shall have returned and
| reported to Pakenham here. All of
| which means more time for us
1 began to see something of the
| structure of bold enterprise which this
/ man deliberately was planning; but no
comment offered itself; so that pres
emily he went on, as though in solilo-
guy.
The Hudson Bay Company have
deceived England splendidly enough.
! DR.. Mclaughlin, good man that he is,
has not suited the Hudson Bay Com
| pany. His removal means less cour-
| tesy to our settlers in Oregon. Granted
a less tactful leader than himself,
there will be friction with our high
| strung frontiersmen in that country
No man can tell when the thing will
come to an issue. For my own part,
| 1 would agree with Polk that we ought
to own that country to fifty-four forty
but what we ought to do and what
| we can do are two separate matters.
| Should we force the issue now and
lose, we would lose for 100 years.
Should we advance firmly and hold
| firmly what we gain. in perhaps less
than 100 years we may win all of that
country, as 1 just said to Mr. Polk,
to the River saskatchewan know
| no man may set limit to the growth
\ by the people And this continent is
| meant for that honest government"
| He sighed as he paused in his walk
| and turned to me. But now, as
! said we have at least time for Texas.
| And in regard to Texas we need an
| o-ktr wOrpep