the outlet-第54部分

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t　of　the　original　has　always　been　recognized　at　the　War　Office；　and　in　this　case　the　holders　of　the　same　are　declared　entitled　to　deliver。　There　is　only　one　provision；does　the　article　of　beef　tendered　qualify　under　the　specifications？　That　is　the　only　question　before　making　this　decision　final。　If　there　is　any　evidence　to　the　contrary；　I　am　ready　to　hear　it。〃

This　afforded　the　opportunity　of　using　Sanders　as　a　witness；　and　Sutton　grasped　the　opportunity　of　calling　him　to　testify　in　regard　to　wintering　Southern　cattle　in　the　North。　After　stating　his　qualifications　as　a　citizen　and　present　occupation；　he　was　asked　by　the　commissioner　regarding　his　experience　with　cattle　to　entitle　his　testimony　to　consideration。　〃I　was　born　to　the　occupation　in　Texas；〃　replied　the　witness。　〃Five　years　ago　this　summer　I　came　with　beef　cattle　from　Uvalde　County；　that　State；　to　this　post；　and　after　the　delivery；　accepted　a　situation　under　the　quartermaster　here　in　locating　and　holding　the　government's　beeves。　At　present　I　am　foreman　and　have　charge　of　all　cattle　delivered　at　or　issued　from　this　post。　I　have　had　five　years'　experience　in　wintering　Texas　cattle　in　this　vicinity；　and　have　no　hesitancy　in　saying　that　it　is　a　matter　of　the　utmost　importance　that　steers　should　be　in　the　best　possible　flesh　to　withstand　our　winters。　The　losses　during　the　most　favorable　seasons　have　averaged　from　one　to　five　per　cent；　while　the　same　cattle　in　a　severe　season　will　lose　from　ten　to　twenty…five；　all　depending　on　the　condition　of　the　stock　with　the　beginning　of　cold　weather。　Since　my　connection　with　this　post　we　have　always　received　good　steers；　and　our　losses　have　been　light；　but　above　and　below　this　military　reservation　the　per　cent　loss　has　run　as　high　as　fifty　among　thin；　weak　animals。〃

〃Now；　Mr。　Sanders；〃　said　the　special　commissioner；　〃as　an　expert；　you　are　testifying　as　to　the　probable　loss　to　the　government　in　this　locality　in　buying　and　holding　beef　on　its　own　account。　You　may　now　state　if　you　have　seen　the　tender　of　beef　made　by　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。；　and　if　so；　anticipating　the　worst；　what　would　be　the　probable　loss　if　their　cattle　were　accepted　on　this　year's　delivery？〃

〃I　was　present　at　their　inspection　by　the　officers　of　this　post；〃　replied　the　witness；　〃and　have　no　hesitancy　in　saying　that　should　the　coming　one　prove　as　hard　a　winter　as　'82　was；　there　would　be　a　loss　of　fully　one　half　these　cattle。　At　least　that　was　my　opinion　as　expressed　to　the　post　commander　and　quartermaster　at　the　inspection；　and　they　agreed　with　me。　There　are　half　a　dozen　other　boys　here　whose　views　on　wintering　cattle　can　be　hadand　they're　worth　listening　to。〃

This　testimony　was　the　brutal　truth；　and　though　eternal；　was　sadly　out　of　place。　The　opposition　lawyers　winced；　and　when　Sutton　asked　if　permission　would　be　given　to　hear　the　testimony　of　the　post　commander　and　quartermaster；　both　familiar　with　the　quality　of　cattle　the　government　had　been　receiving　for　years；　the　commissioner；　having　admitted　damaging　testimony；　objected　on　the　ground　that　they　were　under　suspension；　and　military　men　were　not　considered　specialists　outside　their　own　vocation。　Other　competent　witnesses　were　offered　and　objected　to；　simply　because　they　would　not　admit　they　were　experts。　Taking　advantage　of　the　opening；　Congressman　Y…　called　attention　to　a　few　facts　in　passing。　This　unfortunate　situation；　he　said；　in　substance；　was　deeply　regretted　by　his　clients　and　himself。　The　War　Department　was　to　be　warmly　commended　for　sending　a　special　commissioner　to　hear　the　matter　at　issue；　otherwise　unjust　charges　might　have　been　preferred　against　old　and　honored　officers　in　the　service。　However；　if　specialists　were　to　be　called　to　testify；　and　their　testimony　considered；　as　to　what　per　cent；　of　cattle　would　survive　a　winter；　why　not　call　on　the　weather　prophets　to　testify　just　what　the　coming　one　would　be？　He　ridiculed　the　attestations　of　Sanders　as　irrelevant；　defiantly　asserting　that　the　only　question　at　issue　was；　were　there　five　million　pounds　of　dressed　beef　in　the　tender　of　cattle　by　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　He　insisted　on　the　letter　in　the　bond　being　observed。　The　government　bought　cattle　one　year　with　another；　and　assumed　risks　as　did　other　people。　Was　there　any　man　present　to　challenge　his　assertion　that　the　pounds　quantity　had　been　tendered？

There　was。　Don　Lovell　arose；　and　addressing　the　special　commissioner；　said：　〃Sir；　I　am　not　giving　my　opinion　as　an　expert　but　as　a　practical　cowman。　If　the　testimony　of　one　who　has　delivered　over　ninety　thousand　cattle　to　this　government；　in　its　army　and　Indian　departments；　is　of　any　service　to　you；　I　trust　you　will　hear　me　patiently。　No　exception　is　taken　to　your　ruling　as　to　who　is　entitled　to　deliver　on　the　existing　award；　that　was　expected　from　the　first。　I　have　been　contracting　beef　to　this　government　for　the　past　fifteen　years；　and　there　may　be　tricks　in　the　trade　of　which　I　am　ignorant。　The　army　has　always　demanded　the　best；　while　lower　grades　have　always　been　acceptable　to　the　Indian　Department。　But　in　all　my　experience；　I　have　never　tendered　this　government　for　its　guteating　wards　as　poor　a　lot　of　cattle　as　I　am　satisfied　that　you　are　going　to　receive　at　the　hands　of　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　I　accept　the　challenge　that　there　are　not　five　million　pounds　of　dressed　beef　in　their　tender　to…day；　and　what　there　is　would　be　a　disgrace　to　any　commonwealth　to　feed　its　convicts。　True；　these　cattle　are　not　intended　for　immediate　use；　and　I　make　the　counter…assertion　that　this　government　will　never　kill　out　fifty　per　cent　of　the　weight　that　you　accept　to…day。　Possibly　you　prefer　the　blandishments　of　a　lobbyist　to　the　opinion　of　a　practical　cowman　like　Sanders。　That's　your　privilege。　You　refuse　to　allow　us　to　show　the　relationship　between　The　Western　Supply　Company　and　the　present　holders　of　its　assignment；　and　in　doing　so　I　charge　you　with　being　in　collusion　with　these　contractors　to　defraud　the　government！〃

〃You're　a　liar！〃　shouted　Congressman　Y；　jumping　to　his　feet。　The　only　reply　was　a　chair　hurled　from　the　hand　of　Sutton　at　the　head　of　the　offender；　instantly　followed　by　a　rough　house。　Several　officers　present　sprang　to　the　side　of　the　special　commissioner；　but　fortunately　refrained　from　drawing　revolvers。　I　was　standing　at　some　distance　from　the　table；　and　as　I　made　a　lunge　forward；　old　man　Don　was　hurled　backward　into　my　arms。　He　could　not　whip　a　sick　chicken；　yet　his　uncontrollable　anger　had　carried　him　into　the　general　melee　and　he　had　been　roughly　thrown　out　by　some　of　his　own　men。　They　didn't　want　him　in　the　fight；　they　could　do　all　that　was　necessary。　A　number　of　soldiers　were　present；　and　while　the　officers　were　frantically　commanding　them　to　restore　order；　the　scrap　went　merrily　on。　Old　man　Don　struggled　with　might　and　main；　cursing　me　for　refusing　to　free　him；　and　when　one　of　the　contractors　was　knocked　down　within　easy　reach；　I　was　half　tempted　to　turn　him　loose。　The　〃major…domo〃　had　singled　out　Sponsilier　and　was　trying　issues　with　him；　Bob　Quirk　was　dropping　them　right　and　left；　when　the　deposed　commandant　sprang　upon　a　table；　and　in　a　voice　like　the　hiss　of　an　adder；　commanded　peace；　and　the　disorder　instantly　ceased。

The　row　had　lasted　only　a　few　seconds。　The　opposing　sides　stood　glaring　daggers　at　each　other；　when　the　commissioner　took　occasion　to　administer　a　reproof　to　all　parties　concerned；　referring　to　Texas　in　not　very　complimentary　terms。　Dave　Sponsilier　was　the　only　one　who　had　the　temerity　to　offer　any　reply；　saying；　〃Mr。　Yank；　I'll　give　you　one　hundred　dollars　if　you'll　point　me　out　the　grave　of　a　man；　woman；　or　child　who　starved　to　death　in　that　state。〃

A　short　recess　was　taken；　after　which　apologies　followed；　and　the　commissioner　resumed　the　hearing。　A　Western　lawyer；　named　Lemeraux；　made　a　very　plausible　plea　for　the　immediate　acceptance　of　the　tender　of　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　He　admitted　that　the　cattle；　at　present；　were　not　in　as　good　flesh'　as　his　clients　expected　to　offer　them；　that　they　had　left　the　Platte　River　in　fine　condition；　but　had　been　twice　quarantined　en　route。　He　was　cautious　in　his　remarks；　but　clearly　intimated　that　had　there　been　no　other　cattle　in　competition　for　delivery　on　this　award；　there　might　have　been　no　quarantine。　In　his　insinuations；　the　fact　was　adroitly　brought　out　that　the　isolation　of　their　herds；　if　not　directly　chargeable　to　Lovell　and　his　men；　had　been　aided　and　abetted　by　them；　retarding　the　progress　of　his　clients'　beeves　and　forcing　them　to　travel　as　fast　as　twenty…five　miles　a　day；　so　that　they　arrived　in　a　jaded　condition。　Had　there　been　no　interference；　the　tender　of　Field；　Radcliff　&　Co。　would　have　reached　this　post　ten　days　earlier；　and　rest　would　soon　have　restored　the　cattle　to　their　normal　condition。　In　concluding；　he　boldly　made　the　assertion　that　the　condition　of　his　client's　tender　of　beef　was　the　result　of　a　conspiracy　to　injure　one　firm；　that　another　drover　might　profit　thereby；　that　right　and　justice　could　be　conserved　only　by　immediately　making　the　decision　final；　and　thus　fearlessly　silencing　any　and　all　imputations　reflecting　on　the　character　of　this　government's　trusted　representatives。

The　special　commissioner　assumed　an　air　of　affected　dignity　and　announced　that