QuayhadbecomeparticularlyconcernedabouttheDelawaresintheIndianTerritory。HefeltthattheInteriorDepartmentdidnotdothemjustice。HealsofeltthathiscolleaguesoftheSenatetooknointerestinthem。Wheninthespringof1904helayinhishousemortallysick，hesentmewordthathehadsomethingimportanttosaytome，andwouldhavehimselfcarriedroundtoseeme。Isentbackwordnottothinkofdoingso，andthatonmywaybackfromchurchnextSundayIwouldstopinandcallonhim。ThisIaccordinglydid。
Hewaslyinginhisbed，deathwrittenonhisface。Hethankedmeforcoming，andthenexplainedthat，ashewasonthepointofdeathandknewhewouldneverreturntoWashington——itwaslatespringandhewasabouttoleave——hewishedtoseemetogetmypersonalpromisethat，afterhedied，IwouldmyselflookaftertheinterestsoftheDelawareIndians。HeaddedthathedidnottrusttheInteriorDepartment——althoughheknewthatIdidnotsharehisviewsonthispoint——andthatstilllessdidhebelievethatanyofhiscolleaguesintheSenatewouldexertthemselvesintheinterestsoftheDelawares，andthatthereforehewishedmypersonalassurancethatI
wouldpersonallyseethatnoinjusticewasdonethem。ItoldhimI
woulddoso，andthenadded，inratherperfunctoryfashion，thathemustnottakesuchagloomyviewofhimself，thatwhenhegotawayforthesummerIhopedhewouldrecoverandbebackallrightwhenCongressopened。Agleamcameintotheoldfighter’seyesandheanswered：“No，Iamdying，andyouknowit。Idon’tminddying；butI
dowishitwerepossibleformetogetoffintothegreatnorthwoodsandcrawloutonarockinthesunanddielikeawolf！”