EERER
x
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BR
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CHAPTER XX-—Continued.
eee] {re
apology, Dupont has- |
the deed, skimmed
grasped the fact that
convey to him a full
the mine. He had
over more carefully
Mumbling an
tily unfolded
through it, and
it purported to
half-interest In
started to read i
when an oath from Vandervyn caused
him to look up.
The younger man pointed along the |
coulee bank to where the road topped |
the spur ridge of the butte, |
“The devil!” he exclaimed
brings him back here?
"Cap! It
Dupont. “Nom d'un chien! You don’t
think he's got on to the game, do you?” |
“Wouldn't do him any
had.”
“Then why d'yvou think he's—
“To enter n
Vandervyn.
wire Washington ang
de
+
L
“What
sure is Cap!” muttered
good if he |
¢ |
the conte
“There's
1 have |
arrest for disobeying orders.”
“Hold on!” d Dupont, “What
if he does try hi In the moun-
tains there ain't nor
neither can bre:
bine.”
Vandervyn's
ought to know,
no cl
cautione
8 IUCK/{
8 no horse
pont. “It's a dead cin«
"He'll thi gt
ulted Vande “Let
He's come back f
he's going
ANC
*
“The Devil! What Brings Hi
Here?”
was far down in the
the
sky when he came
before table, at
d of the line. Vandervyn rose from
his easy seat to take a position behind
him. The secretary hesitated and
looked inquiringly at Vandervyn.
met nod to proceed,
WN Fr
You
secretin the
r'y s
«<n
with a
vish register?”
curt question of the chairman,
“Yes,” replied Hardy with
curtness,
to came the
equal
contest?”
ioner.,
need not
“I have resigned my co
che
COMMIS
“You debate the matter,”
seid Hardy.
I sion,”
Again Vandervyn nodded, and there
wet no further objections raised,
[ardy and he signe the register, and
made thelr thumb prints, and were
duly described in writing by the sec-
retary.
Hardy at once mounted
sud rode away up the coulee
i
his mare,
He did
|
|
|
i
|
i
i
j
return until Vandervyn and the
commissioners had left for the agency,
That evening he drew up the legal
notices required in the posting of a
To all who inquired, he
the trail by which he
for errors,
described
|
Hardy started after these last, hold-
ing his mare to her usual steady trot.
When he eame up the road to the head
he knew of
the nearest
peaks which
stated that
that led to
prominent
none
of the
had been
land boundary.
The rest of the evening and most of
day he spent in
He gave her 1
, but a good allowance
Joth morning and afternoon
following grooms
mare,
tle water,
his
ad lit
oats,
10 grass
?
3
11
repeatedly
bank He
reservation
, and each
«1 and descended
101 over to
nuch
time
the
Cross the
les
the promise of
more uneasy
ering about the
with their pack
and more
ponies a feed of
stretched ut
of their
hours before
Vanderv
over to
pinto
nd to lounge
: Wo
start
A
yn appeared,
the He
and le a pack
ny. When the old prospectors saw
np.
ali
1s “Atiil
18
8. heavy pick and shovel and large,
i k of food and bed-
cracked many dry jokes on
ws of the tenderfoot
shovels were
Vandervyn ha
tines, He was
I made,
questoning
me trip
qr
il
But
quiet that the incipient
and straggled over to
vyn had hired an expert t
wad hitch on } ridiculon
Hardy turned his back on them, and
t to grooming the satiny coat of his
His unconcern well found-
hatever means Vandervyn used,
the
where
o throw
CASI 1S
Pe
wns
Ny
they
fron
sufitcient t
were
The
0 satisfy
crowd. muttering ceased,
sod.
S000
CHAPTER XXI.
The Race.
comimi
the
their
The
[rom
down
time to
of the
asloners
barely
identification
contestants, Last of all Hardy
and’ Vanderyyn identified them-
selves and hurried over to the end of
line, There
minutes remaining.
a-quiver with eager
and made no attempt to
fact. He smiled and waved his hand
to the commissioners, and looked about
with sparkling eyes. There was no
anxiety or envy or malice in his look
can
10
in
agency
(
mae
the waiting wins scant
five
fn
Vandervyn
excitement,
was
conceal
more boyish,
The other comrgliasioners had
climbed Into the touring car, One of
them held up his watch. Another com-
missioner arose, thrust a small pistol
above his head a melodramatic
flourish, and fired,
At the signal the line of contestants
wavered and plunged forward into the
shallow stream. There were, however,
hasty raise a
wild splashing and turmoil, as, whoop
ing and yelling, they spurred their po-
nies through the water and whirled
away at a gallop. wheeled tp
with
quite enough ones to
tos or
Some
Vandervyn, wild-
all, headed down
road, spurring
at the steep bunk.
and noislest of
stream for the
pinto,
bunch
out
i
fore him were all quite a distance
ahead, with Vandervyn still in the
lend. Midway between the mouth of
the and the agency, the
striding mare began to pass ponles
whose riders had thought better of
whirlwind start. Others were
still loping in swift pursuit of Vander-
vyn.
Hardy walked the mare up the slope
the agency terrace, He saw noth-
ing Dupont or Marie, and the In-
dians had moved away with thelr te-
But In the rear of the ware-
he eaught a glimpse of two In-
dian policemien removing the load from
Vandervyn's pack pony. His face
clouded. He put the mare into a gal-
valley long-
thelr
of
of
pees,
house
lop.
All t to the
ley Hardy held to a st
ter another, he pas
leaders, The best
in speed with the big thor-
}
he way
ed the
of ti
1@ ponies were
13]
i
Do mate
oughbred,
At last only Vandervyn was
As Hardy overhauled and forge
the young f
met his gaze with
hate, Hardv g
prepared
the
dit
1
ellow
nd a look of mock
back
}
v ii Ins
18 Hii0 i
pammel of his
not
did
need
to flix
ral times,
alongside
His uneasiness
a few
halted, and
il to get
headir
take this steep
guzed back, ex-
» cowboys, As
he went Ti rn dge cre
i back
The man
broad-brimmed hat to
The sun glinted with a
on the 1
HCTORS
ning
ning
$i orl nd gt
wd off his
golden sheen nmistakable
blond head of Vandervyn.,
At break
cent Hardy dismounted,
out the mare's mouth and
water from
the first small
in
unsaddled,
the de-
nd sponged
nostrils with
He shook and
Navajo saddle blanket,
But
«
w his canteen.
refolded his
and started to
before he buckled the
then out
resaddle,
in his rid-
ing breeches,
He vigorously
mare when Vandervyn
down through the thickets of tall brush
that grew on of the
trail, He did not pause his rub-
bing until the nimi unshod
pony ambled into view, less than
dozen yards up the trail, Then he
glanced about, straightened, and stood
starin The pony was a pinto.
Vandervyn, smiling with insolent ex-
unitance, rode to him, his right
hand jauntily poised on his hip, over
hilt of his revolver, His eyes
challenged his rival with an audacious,
stare, But Hardy
only at the pinto,
of swent Inther on his rough coat, no
weariness in his gait, He was fresh
“Tots of comeback to a bronco,
pte purred Vandervyn, “Sorry
wns the
grooming
came
close en side
in
footed
or
Re
down
"
Ci in
eh? mocked Vandervyn., “By-by! I'll
tell Marie you'll be along later.”
Hardy perceived in a flash why he
had seen neither the girl nor her fa-
ther at the agency. Swiftly he wheeled
about to mount. Startled by the quick
Vandervyn spurred his pony,
and went down the steep descent ut a
galt far from
tain-bred
lowed at a
was gradual,
nt a slow trot,
ly level stretch
action,
easy on even a moun-
horse's knees, Hardy fol-
walk. The opposite rise
He let the mare take it
At the top was a falr-
of trail. Vandervyn
wns far abead. Hardy put the mare
a fast gallop. A minutes
brought her up so close behind the lop
that V
sprinting speed.
an easier yet
tht him near,
to a lope.
ridge
into few
pinto I
st tO
lowed at
bre
slackened
A st
ndervy
Hurdy
wift pace t
pint
min a8 the
i
i
i
i
{
i
She's too highbred for a rocky road
like this, But you might take off Her
shoes and travel light, the way I've
done,”
The pony was now ambling down
the slope past the mare. Hardy looked
nt the unshod hoofs, They were cov
ered with a coating of clay mire from
the bottom of the last gulch, and the
bepst's shuffling pace did not expose
the under surface of the hoofs, Wheth-
had or had not been re-
;
i
|
!
S ardy
H
longer st
them up at A
» pitch of the mountain
i for Hardy
lower i
the
the pint
ail with
kept
upper side.
“You have
rail,” said
pass.”
to block
Allow
right
Hardy.
no
4 ““
ne
Vandervyn looked
h an jasolént
58, if you're In a
ot all omtdoors to do
it room enough,
ti trail.
over his shoulder
(30 on
i
shoot
Ww
you."
iy did not
to force
mile rom
heartbreaking race, ont
nity for which he had
The trail smoothed out
easy stretch. For this h 1 i
holding the mare In hand, He starts
it a canter, and gradually let he«
strike into her long, swift gallop, Van-
dervyn saw them coming,
put his
before, Hardy held
her best long«distance
Hare came up ¢
forged ahead.
Hardy eyed Vandervyn with utmost
wariness, And, as before, at the head
of the canyon of Sioux ¢reek, Vander.
vyn turned in the saddle, and looked
full at him with a hateful, mo
mile, He pulled in his staggering
pony to a walk the moment Hardy
swung into the trail ahead.
d
spurs to luckless pony.
the mare down to
The
tlongside the pinto and
speed,
1:1 ¥
Ring
to a trot. Though
pinto waiting in the thickets, his eyes
grow hard and cold with grim deters
him his first view of the broken-topped
mountain and the ridge-side where
him. As he looked at
the shattered summit, his hazel eyes
flashed, He thrust the rifle back into
its sheath, and drew the mare
to a walk.
Jehind him he heard a muffled drum-
ming of unshod hoofs, Vandervyn was
coming up at a gallop.
When the
up behind Hardy, he reined in to
jog trot, and, as before, rode past him
with his hand on his hip.
There were marked
tween the third pinto and the two
He was taller and leaner, and
his feet white, jut Hardy
peared to be
Fiact., As the
the lead, Vi n
looked back at rival
hate gone from his face,
to assassinate
mocking trickster came
differences
one
was
pinto ambled away in
gmiled, and
vith
“By-by again
“Sorry 1 ca
tay to keep you company. The
is walting-——and the mine,
please you to hear that I have a
witn contract
fee
i
aaer
his
old man,” he bantered,
lady
igned and ensed
the tribe, giving
cent
me
a
appropriated
INoneys
their
you Cot
the tribe for
Let's hear
you're
not
lervyn Ww
game!"
his
as
Show
did
soon as Var
ight around the cf
f the ridge
aonped fron
Dl rol
raise
gtellated rocks
Hardy
the
wndd
are and d }
his own.
CHAPTER XXII,
The Owner of the Mine,
lope «qd ur
his he
of
{ the exuitant yell
the curb od .
off beside Dupont awd the
rhitful rage,
His volee was high-pitched and light,
almost airy: “So across afoot!
He thought to do me!”
“Has, you
“Got his notices posted.
Inst stake.”
Vandervyn whirled and snatched his
rifle from its sheath, Marie
ght her father's arm to drag him
| nxide; but he backing
baw ay, his eyes fixed apprehensively
| on Hardy. It was time for bullets to
come streaming from the automatic
pistol. Hardy could have drawn and
opened fire while Vandervyn was free
fy
i with
' ud
He out
menn !” snarle
That's his
snddle
wins already
To the astonishment of all three,
Instead, he
started to advance upon Vandervyn
nt a quick, deliberate pace, his hands
hanging empty at his his face
and stern.
“Put down that gun!” he command-
ed,
Vandervyn was leveling the rifle,
took alm straight between
eyes, nnger kissed the
itch would have
ashing through
the slightest
ancy on Har
that twitch.
in the face
aici
sides,
calm
He
Hardy's
trigger,
sent
Hardy's
of fear
rt wou
He was
Vandervyn
ny
ng
LW
gign
dy's pa
nth
a murdersus fury.
Hardy cam
bso itely
the d
shortened
ided; bl
on—quick
His Eiaze
adly muzzle,
barrel,
oodshot
@
nhove nlong
fore to the narrow.
CVs
of Vandery yo.
volce rang out again, ¢lear and
authori
that
iy;
rifie—
wn put it down,
n'
muscles of Vandervyn's neck
top of the barrel
at Hardy
hed, Along the
glaring back
into those hazel
AOS
The Trader Reached for H Revolver.
not
“It does not now matter. I won the
race and--the mine.”
“Do you expect me to rejoice with
neked “h
father his half { the
“How
"Reggie gave him
rest,
has
mine”
entryman.”
to haif-
yout” the cost
80? of an
a
a deed
“1 see.” sald Hardy, “Quite in koep-
The deed Is absolutely void, and
been no less so even had
the grantor been first to reach here”
“You doubt his good faith!” The
girl glanced past him toward the sul
len figure of Vandervyn on the mine
| would have
it better to take it all
to let him take it all?”
“Yeu,” agreed Hardy.
The girl's red lips curved in an iron.
feal smile,
“1 do not go with the mine--necos
sarily.”
“No.
yourself thao
But the mine necessarily goes
(TO BE COMTINEEER)