By
Robert Ames
Bennet
yy rrr rTYTYYYY
Floyd Hardy, U. 8S.
b Clemmer.
bush.
learns they have misunderst
b army officer, attacking both his aflec
y
makes
springs
will see
Out
his
of this situation
honor-—-as you
They are Jacques
halfbreed tool, angers the
He proposes marriage to Marle,
into the
them
wanders Indian camp,
friends with and accuses Du-
in this Installment.
Ad
CHAPTER Xll—Continued.
tee en
“You add to my regret.
ing agent, it my duty
your father and Mr. Vandervyn for de
ceiving me. Had they told about
Nogen's malf anee is bl
the new treaty ar
dians to work the mis
“He did that?”
father.
“Well, me and Mr.
could to git him to pay 'em,” mum
Dupont.
“Of course! But hes
him so mean!” The
as act-
censure
Yet,
is to
1 h
questioned ae
aone au
I did not thin}
and her nostrils dila
why he was shot?
man who did
myself!
nder-
¥
“Couldn't,” i TE vy replied Va
vyn. “He was blood-mad—woul
got Charl
got him.”
“That w
dy. “It has been gree
though, th have prompted
conceal f Y facts that le
to the killing. Asli from the dar
to me, you i
verge
i have
1
had:
Ha
i dishonesty
fis
you
v1
l
upot
romnell
compel
have
the war d«
might stea
“Steal our
pont. “X
“Not so
replied
you es
tered the
dis
Ty
i
It is on
“Ly
overers
fll
Wee Ru
“The Whole Tribe Hates You-—and
I'm One of the Tribe”
“
a high, airy tone:
to pull wires to get
away from us?”
“1 shall see that justice is done toe
ward the tribe,” sald Hardy, and he
fixed the younger man with a glance
that compelled him to blink and look |
aside,
ut now Marie's swift-mounting
scorn and anger burst out In a storm |
of passion:
“You hypocrite!
Su You
our
are going
taken
nine
you self-righteous
martinet! You would reprimand my
father and Mr, Van, would you? And
each a thousand times better man than
you! Who has made all the trouble
here since you came? The whole tribe |
hates you—and I'm one of the tribe! |
You straight-laced prig! You say
Pere and Reggle are dishonest, when
ull they wish to do Is to give the tribe
good work and good pay. But you-
he and from
Hardy winced under the
proaches, yet did not ylel
my duty, i
nue to do
iy his,
when the
entry,
CHAPTER XIII,
Another Card or Two.
w minutes 13
cabin.
and alert,
Without st mwpping tu
ened steal hily Gown
ight slope Of i tun i
¢ FEttse ! thelr
es fixed on the
At any
soft, raw ore-bo
the entire roof might eave In
and bury them. The shock of the first |
fall loosened small quantities of ore |
nll along the passage, Fragments drib- |
bled down behind and in front of the
and on their heads, |
Panie-stricken, they broke into a run. |
It was none too soon. As they dashed |
around the turn that brought them to |
the outlet, the entire roof behind them
came thudding down,
Safe Dupont shook the |
fragments his hat and clothes, |
and pulled out his bandanna to wipe
the sweat that was gathering in
beads on his forehead,
“Ugh!” he grunted.
r above them.
moment
fugitives even
outside,
from
“Don't never
“Rather
Hardy.
“You're a cool one,” muttered the
trader, and he scowled. “Nom d'un
chien! Just my luck! If I hadn't
sung out, you'd 'a’' got smashed under
tht first drop.”
“I shall not forget it, Dupont.”
“Me, neither, ‘Stead of being rid of
you, here you nre ready as ever to
clean us out—and I done itl"
close call,” remarked
“You do not
d Hardy.
“Well, mebbe not, Just the same,
’ rd | ug. Here
ced all that
hundred thousand
regret saving my life,”
} ty his
bloe
i
neg on Wer
out
his few ac-
nt that he
figures
mn
ving.
ing
mountain.
When at last
and looked up,
the police
ous
the
terra
the letter
Of
thelr sy 3 \
gsnectful friendliness, Their
uttered a guttural word of salutation,
1d
ail
sergeant
began making signs,
Hardy , shook his head, and
foo Du
mine
smiled
ed around for an Interpreter.
still the
but Vandervyn
coming back up the mountain-
They appeared only 4 few
yards away, as Hardy glanced about.
His lips when per-
ceived the happy blushes and
the which Vandervyn was
regarding her half-averted face,
At sight of Hardy she straightened
with proud disdain, and would have
gone around into the
cabin had he not spoken.
“Pardon me, Miss Dupont.
men wish to report to me. May I ask
you to interpret for them?”
The girl turned coldly to the ser-
geant, who at once poured out an im-
passioned declamation, emphasized
with swift-formed signs. He was still
talking, when Dupont sullenly sham-
bled over from the mine-dump. His
discontented face darkened still more
sat sulking
Marie and
on
dump,
wore
side,
drew tense he
girl's
look with
speakers,
At last the sergeant finished his im.
promptu oration. Without looking at
Hardy, Marie gave the substance of
the speech wild: ssatemptuous curt
ness :
were
shooter into
They are
could not again
bad Indian after
bare roc from which
shot Charlie.”
“He says they think
brave to follow the
broken mountain.
sorry that they
the trail of the
ing it the
he must have
“Tell them that is
fellow thought I was
his tribe, He will
ter. Nelther he
again attack no
| “Yes,
into
you very
the
very
nd
los
a
On
fi
soon
learn
nor other
”"
16,
any
talked
the
you have Thunderbol
sieving tribe's
friend,”
you
t
{
ito ld
due
Nel
|
amount
nnd the
the council t
Jake nor 1 can
them of
will allow then 11 avimnent
goods,
ments n
morrow,
er e Tord
it Jake
in try
other pay
returns fron
with out
and inake
get
our next ore shipments.”
“Very good,” agreed
are to understand, however, that the
tribe must voluntarily bring the ore
to the reservation boundary and ther:
sell it you. Have you
Hardy.
to
existence of the mine from the ore
{ shipments?” .
“No chance of that,” explained Du-
pont, *“Nogen let it out that he got
the ore from a prospect in the moun-
tains clean back across the other
boundary of the reservation, and he
showed around a smelter report of a
| shipment of ore that we'd doctored
| with barren rock so's it Just paid out
expenses,”
Hardy did not smile. He returned
gravely to Marie. “In view of tlw
general agreement, Miss Dupont, may
I hope that you--"
“You may not, Captain Hardy,” she
ungracionsly interrupted. *You in
| ace my father. He and I shall at
i
once leave for home”
- I.
Dupont looked te Vandervyn,
received a slgn to acquiesce,
“Don’t want to you
lurch, Cap,” he sald, “but if
set on guess I'll have
“Tell four of the police
detailed to escort yourself
Dupont back the agency,”
Hardy. He ralged his hat to
“Permit me to wish you a pleasant
Journey."
The girl turned away without reply-
ing. Hardy stood for a moment cool |
and still under Vandervyn's exu t
smile: then faced about and
walked off along the mountain
race,
He did not return to
til the greater number
and pack ponies had been brought
from the valley and the retur:
party had mounted and ridden aws
back trail. Vandervyn
vith them, and Ha
as,
and
in the
Marie's |
to.”
they are
and Miss |
leave
going,
10 ordered
Marle
“ton
the cabin
of the sac
on the
off
rdy’'s ke i
o}
3 : "
the door,
to its socket as distinct.
tecth ground together.
5 1 pris he
ia
from here!
OF ad
awoy
m in”
“Suppose 1 do not choose to give It?" |
“Then I will protect her by ordering
you fo lean reservation as fast
as you can travel”
ad taunted Vandervyn., “You
want to get rid of me, 80 you can have |
clear sailing with Marie. You're a |
great one to spout about honor!
You'll go and blat to her about this.”
“You know very well I cannot do
that. Yet If you refuse to give me |
your word, I shall feel justified in|
telling Dupont my reason for ordering |
you off the reservation.” |
Vandervyn burst into a cynical |
Inugh. “Deo you think Jake's the sort |
{0 care,
“When the happiness of his daugh-
ter is at stake"
“Precisely, He thinks I'm her one
best chancy.
“Very well,” replied Hardy. “Since, |
like this poor girl's, her natural |
guardian is unfit, my position as acting
agent requires me to take his place, |
ve the
“"
ROC,
My sppeal to you as a gentleman have
failed, 1 must thut you
ure not a gentleman, 1 be com-
pelled to disclose this Incident to Miss
You shall be escorted off the
servation under arrest”
“You'll order me—"" eried Yandervyn,
and t forward as if to
leap at his Hardy stood cold
] the dim starlight,
man checked himself,
with suppressed an-
‘You've got the drop on me now,
conclude
shall
id
ig
again he ben
rival,
otionless in
and uo
The younger
voice shook
hear fr Nashington,”
pres
wif the
verything
H irdy.
we om
relieved from my
durat
en ] ‘
yu must have found
He buck a
pipe, last re
int tone
drew
and at
forced
you're like an
ig to budge
ve you my
i LR i il
“Yery well”
replied Hardy,
Yan fT
lervyn started off
CHAPTER XIV.
in White and Black,
to as
and
From
men
efs
fami-
whom
lieved
By
from
one
word
11 YY v¥i 8
t
fo
the cabin tl) h wead chief
council was
t. Hardy
As
soon as Hardy and Vandervyn started
to ride down the slope, Olinna slipped
*ha ont
the agen
ive command to
She thea mounted har own, and
after him.
At the foot of the slope the riders
came out through a grove of young,
quaking asps into sudden view of the
picturesque and imposing tribal coun
cil. Fully half the tribe had gathered
together for the occasion, All up and
down the valley the meadows were
dotted with thelr ponies. The Indians
were assembled in a dense crowd
the men in a deep band around the
chiefs, the women and children out
glide,
Do you believe that Vandervyn
can persuade Oinna to do so or
scare her into misinterpreting
Captain Hardy's statements to
the tribesmen? Will Hardy
catch Vandervyn at his dirty
work this time and punish, him
for it?
(10 BE CONTINCRLY
¢