"I'll take the captain's word for that," said the chairman.
"You have no other weapons, Mr. Calthorpe?"
"None," said Hal; "but any one is at liberty to make sure."
"I'll take your word," said McShay.
The inferential insult of this was not lost on Ladd, but he had made up his mind not again to lose his temper, and to let McShay rattle on and expose his hand.
"Oh, by the way," observed the chairman, looking around; "oughtn't the Indians to have a representative here?"
"I represent the Indians," said Ladd laconically.
"Never mind the Injins," agreed McShay.
The chairman made a note of the fact that no one thought it worth while to consult the Indians about lands presumably belonging to them. Both parties to the dispute were agreed in this, so the clergyman let it pass without further comment.
"Now we will sit down," he said, "and listen to each other calmly. First, Mr. McShay, we will hear from you. Don't rise. This is informal. We will try to avoid provocation and also try to be patient under provocation. Go on." McShay fired the first shot.