These Indians were perfectly harmless, but McShane did not know it. They had been visiting somewhere down south and were returning to the Red Cloud Agency on White river.

They could not resist the temptation to throw a little scare into people as they went along. At the Circle Arrow they shot off their rifles and left some stones lying in peculiar positions, which old Bill Gaw, the trapper, told the people at the ranch, were "war signs."

They were not without a sense of humor, and when they found John A. alone at the ranch, and observed his fear of them, they made "hunger signs," and McShane, not knowing if they were friendly or untamed, had set about getting them a good dinner.

McShane later went to Omaha, where he was elected to Congress in a race with Thos. J. Majors, Edward Rosewater's opposition to Majors, assisted materially in the result.

This little event on Pumpkin creek did not put McShane among the class of irrational cooks. There were many exceptions to that rule

There was Muldoon, the best cook that ever dipped a pail of water from the creek. It is said that once one of the boys of Muldoon's outfit had an aversion to rice. Rice was a staple food on the roundup, and Muldoon told him that he just had to eat it. He came in hungry one night, and the dinner had a pudding that met nicely his taste. He said it was fine and asked of what it was made.