Show 1 THE D.- D. T The St Story o of an Army Officer on an an Indian Reservation By ROBERT AMES BENNET oooo J DIL t f V I I to take the agency at Lakotah Indian reservation followIng following following follow follow- COMING ing the murder of Agent Capt Floyd Hardy U. U S. S A. A rescues a girl and two men from atta attacking Indians 1 They are Jacques Dupont post trader his dau daughter Marie and Reginald Regi I s E Wald agency clerk and nephew of Senator Clemmer I Hardy learns that n had bad been promised the agency by his politician uncle discovers that the Indians are disaffected because I they have been cheated In a tribal mine which Dupont and Vander- Vander i yn are working Illegally is puzzled when heu his friendly speech to tribesmen Interpreted by tool angers the Indians and JI he ho determines to find out what's wrong all aU around and right It He becomes with Marie whom Is and I H smitten n courting proPoses proposes proposes pro- pro poses to her She holds him off oft but nurses him tenderly when he heIs heis I Is shot and wounded from ambush Recovered Captain Hardy accompanied acI ac- ac companied by the Duponts an Interpreter and a few In- In dlan policemen starts to the mines In the mountains What occurs on I that trip makes mighty good reading in this Installment I. I u I NIP t L CHAPTER X X Continued 4 6 ry When Hardy saw the couple ride riden n ahead ead he would have ordered them rt back aback ack had not Dupont again assured him that the girl would not be in the slightest danger at any time during 4 the tho trip uy You ou were were- not so certain of ot the i friendliness of the Indians toward her herthe the other day remarked Hardy v Dupont scratched his head Well Nell no I wasn't Cap that's no lie He That there though was Im I'm going t now DOW by what Mr Van says about the feeling in the camps Wisht I felt as assure assure assure sure about you Never mind about me If Ii I-f your our daughter is safe that Is quite sufi sufi- c dent You say this mine is centrally lly located with relation to the various x camps We will go to it first and endeavor en en- deavor to get the tribe to meet us there ln In council At the mine mumbled Dupont e We youre you're the thc boss The party now entered Sioux Creek canyon and followed the narrow path Is Alongside the torrent until they came cameto cameto cameto to the first small Indian camp The Indians met Marie and with friendly greetings but looked at Hardy ardy with a n stolid concealment of feeling that according to Dupont boded ill for the new agents agent's reception recep- recep 5 tion in the larger camps Hardy set jaw and ordered the party to start starton j on into the mountains Noon found the party over twenty Smiles miles from the agency by trail trall though fless less than half that distance In an ai air line They had come upon no more In- In dlan camps and had seen no more Int In- In t Late afternoon found them far farIn ln In among the mountains with snowy peaks on every side Yet they were still a long iong ten miles mlles by trail from their destination Upon learning from r Dupont that there was no desirable t site camp nearer than the mine Hardy his companion to ride forward and t urge all to a n faster pace The rest of the party had rounded a heap of rock that towered up like Uke a ruined castle at the ridge summit and was about to follow them out tout of ot sight when the thoroughbred c came came me to a n full stop thirty yards down the 4 trail trall J the he foot of the steepest part of tl ti nib Considerate of the 1 fact that his tall mount was at a disadvantage disadvantage dis dis- advantage In such a situation as compared compared com com- i pared with the set lower-set ponies Hardy i. i did not urge the mare to carry him up v the ascent i. i He lIe paused a i moment waiting to see v lf lf If she would could make the attempt vol voluntarily volun volun- un She stood motionless He patt patted patted pat- pat t ted ted her neck and dropped down out 1 ot the saddle The suddenness of the i movement alone saved him from the bullet that pinged down the mountainside mountain- mountain side Bide Ide and passed above the saddle precisely pre pre- where an Instant before had b been cn hl I The report of the rifle rUle had Imd yet to 1 reach teach Hardy's Hardys s e ear r when he a peered over j the mares mare's withers In search scorch of the I t r t w 47 a 4 fi lw c f t tw w I l h i aw No Smoke He Did Old ou u fJ Not o Look In Vain It of ot the shot But though he saw flaw r. r he did not look In v vain ln smoke h tb ho bO bowlder boulder high up In n a cleft A j bove beve a a devilish painted face tace J i be P perceived by a n. war bonnet He Hei r the ridge slope sideways up i ced had tad hadr hadt man The young F sit t xo on the ridge crest and r u l his pony fu at Hardy back down ni t lit o r Hardy waved wa to him him Imperatively Go on I he shouted Guard Miss 1 Dupont May 1 be more of them Send the police around to flank flank flank- pinto leaped out of sight A shot grazed the mares mare's with with- ers In a n flash he flung up his rifle rUle and fired tIled at the peering down devilish ilIsh face ace It vanished as he pressed the trigger Swift as ns a puma he sprang around the mares mare's head and dashed up th the slope keeping a n large bowlder in line Une between himself and his enemy A bulet bullet bul bul- let et came pinging down over oyer the bowlder bowlder bowlder bowl bowl- der and passed under his upraised d arm A few seconds more and safe Behind the huge stone he slowly edged his ils hat above the top The ancient ruse drew a shot Instantly he scrambled scrambled scram- scram bled led obliquely upward towards another bowlder It was a n desperate move A bullet grazed his thigh a tn nJ he flung himself behind the bushes beside the second bowlder Hardy waited The twilight was fast fading Still SUIl Hardy waited his gaze scanning the cleft and the rocks on either side It was time for the police to come creepIng creeping creep- creep Ing ng around on the flank of the assas assas- sin A little more and the dusk would would render close shooting difficult Yet the precious moments slipped sUpped by and no sign of the police Over on the far side sId of the cleft there was a faint glint gUnt of metal in the deepening shadow Without a moments moment's moments moment's moments moment's mo mo- ments ment's hesitation Hardy aimed and fired The mountainside rang with a shrill yell The bullet had found Its mark marIe Hardy leaped to his feet and dashed up the side mountain-side keeping behind shelter where it was available but in places boldly rushing up over open spaces There on the spot where he had seen the glint he found a trace of blood The wounded man had crept away up the cleft For several yards Hardy nardy followed the trail by the splashes splash splash- es of crimson on the leaves and rocks Then the traces ceased But over Inon in inane on one ane of the many clefts on the far side of the gap he thought he saw something something something some some- thing move among the He sprinted down the slope and across the gap his face fuce flushed with exertion but his eyes still stUl cold and hard Among the heaps of broken rocks In Inthe Inthe inthe the bottom of the gap Hardy lost sight of the cleft for tor which he was heading When he started to return along what he supposed to be the passage by which h he had entered he soon found himself in a de cul Dusk was now deepening Into night He came out and Into a steep ascent between overhanging ledges This certainly was not the way by which he had entered entered en en- but he kept to it eager to escape escape escape es es- es- es cape out of the maze Night had fallen when at last he be reached readied the top of the cleft and clambered clambered clambered clam clam- up on n a ridge crest But the sky was clear and the starlight enabled him to see the outlines of the mountains mountains moun moun- that cut the skyline A star lo lower loer er down doun than any of the others caught his eye He lIe peered at nt it fixedly The little twinkling point of light was not a star star star-It it was a fire two or three miles away across the Intervening val val- ley icy Hardy took his bearings by the stars and started down tho the mountainside mountainside mountain mountain- side directly toward the fire Once clear of ot the roc rocks Its of the shattered shattered shattered shat shat- mountain top he be found the going unexpectedly easy Almost from the first he had lost sight of ot the fire and at no time did he see any trace of the trail to the mine Off to the left he heard the diminutive roar of a n mountain mountain moun moun- tain rill dashing down a ravine to Join the main stream in the valley At last he came up over the edge of the ridgetop or terrace on which the tile therill therill rill headed The moment his e eyes es cleared the low underbrush below the few scattered pines he be perceived the flicker of ot the fire for which he lie was looking He ne could make out the appearance appearance ap ap- of the dark durk forms around the fire but their number and the hal half bait dozen en oze white I e t tepees pee grouped around the lire are tOl told him that he ho had Imd not found the camp of ot his party He lIe had no more than made this discovery discovery dis dis- dis- dis covery cry when a n nu number ber of yelping snarling mongrel dogs rushed out at him like a pack of ot wolves He ne met their attack by swinging his rifle barrel barrel barrel bar bar- rel around In a n circle The Tile cowardly curs closed about him but were afraid to lent leap In within reach of ol the club He ne had not stopped his advance ance Nor did dIt he lie pause or hesitate wh when n over th the tho heads of the leaping yelling pack he sa saw w the Indian women and children 11 scurry to the tile tepees and the bucks eJ spring up with their bows and guns Uns ti CHAPTER R XI Ufe Light In the Darkness a Soon Hardy had bad approached into the circle of the firelight Some of the to Indians started to aim their weapons at him He held up his right hand palm forward A deep voice called caned out outA of tr Ac ci 1 if ift at nt all t iV L tl a a V P 4 1 A tl I n 1 1 fi fiHe fid J fio o on d He Faced Them as Coolly and Quietly Quiet a ly Iy as If They Were His Own Party a n guttural order The threatening bucks drew apart to right and left and anda a naked boy ran forward with a u blazing stick to drive off the dogs Hardy calmly advanced to the tho fire between the grim and stolid bucks r There was not one among them who tJ was not itching to drive a bullet or oran oran b ban an arrow through his body and ana he tJ knew It Yet he be faced them as coolly n nand and quietly as if they were his own tl party r d The bucks looked toward the far farside farside 0 side of the fire as as if for the signal to t strike down the audacious lor Hardy followed t glances and perceived perceived per per- perceived a n wrapped blanket-wrapped Indian who sat In the midst of the volcanic hush bush seemingly as placid and immobile as asa asa asa to a Buddha His face was down-bent down I to and so muffled in the blanket that I Hardy Dardy could not make out the fea fea- tures It was Tas however easy to di divine divine dl- dl vine that the man was the chief of ot the band to Hardy walked around the fire with his most dignified bearing sat Bat down beside the chief and laid his rifle on the ground between them He then i folded his arms and waited his eyes a fixed on the fire In a calm unwavering gaze There followed a silence of a I full minutes minute's duration He lIe knew that it might end at nt any moment In an at nt- tack His ills hand gripped the hilt of his a pistol on his breast under the edge of his coat The bucks stealthily shifted w their positions until until they had completely completely completely com com- surrounded the unwelcome vis vis- Hardy sat motionless and gave p no sign that he observed them At last when the suspense had become become become be be- come almost unendurable the chief muttered a n word to the nearest buck b The man glided gIlded back toward the largest largest larg larg- tl to est tepee The chief pushed the blanket blanket blan blan- blank k ket het from his head Hardy slowly d looked aside at him and perceived the p powerful profile of Ti-owa-konza Ti the time d Thunderbolt He lIe was to deal with the l head chief of the tribe There followed another silence It was broken by the tread of light bt feet tJ and a n girl appeared beside the chief Hardy caught a glimpse of a gingham u skirt shirt and glanced quickly up at the h face faco of the girl He was met by the II frightened gaze of Oinna 0 of Oh I she murmured It Is is bad I b You oughtn't tove come here her sir o 0 They dont don't like you Mr Van said he was going to tell you youA youA you you- A grunt of ot disapproval from TI owa Tl-owa- owa- owa kouza konza cut cur short the hurried statement After a dignified silence the chief spoke to the girl She clasped ped her hands and und interpreted In an anxious of murmur lie He says I must be only the tongue between you OU and him He lIe says why did you lie Why havo have you ou not gone away as you said you would Hardy turned and looked direct into l k the haughty face tace of the chief Tell ITell h him I did not lie I did not say say I would go away I wished to stay and und prove myself the friend of ot the tribe Your brother told the lie He to keep the chiefs from destroying the tribe by lo attacking me me Omans Oman's Interpretation brought guttural guttural gut gut- of ot tural exclamations from the tho surrounding surround surround- ing bucks Hardy was waa equally unmoved unmoved unmoved un un- un- un moved by their ferocious glances and the contemptuous rejoinder of Ti Tl-owa- Tl owa- owa konza Docs Does the tho chief of ot the ves d think to destroy a u tribe single hand g. g ed edT No nor do I wish others to destroy 01 the tribe answered Hardy nardy I do not ol oj of ot wish Ish the time to come and mako make ei el war on the tribe Yet that is what h they will do l if I am um harmed pi p 11 eJ ti a to of tr ci if at nt all L a tl a V P 1 n tl fi fid fio d o on a r tJ b tJ n tl d 0 t to to I to i a a w p b tl to k d p d l tJ u h II 0 of b o 0 of l k h lo of ot d g. g 01 ol oj of ot ei el h pi p Again Oinna Interpreted in her flute- flute like tones This time the chief considered considered considered consid consid- ered before speaking OInna's gold gold- tinted skin turned a sallow gray He He he says says' he will fight if It you do donot donot donot not promise to go away I she gasped Hardy smiled Have no fear Oin- Oin na nn n. n He lIe is s too grout great a chief to kill a a. guest in his camp Tell him I came cameto cameto cameto the reservation to be a friend to the tribe Though I am a of the my heart Is good toward his people It would be foolish of or him to kill or drive away the friend his people This time Ti Tl-owa-konza Tl owa konza gave the Intruder Intruder In In- uder an open stare of contempt The surrounding bucks glared more ferociously fero tero- than everlIe everlie ever lIe He says you ou are tongued fork-tongued Oinna translated the reply He says you OU are nrc a friend why did you say sup sayat the council that you would punish the tribe for the killing kUling of 1 That is a mistake I did not say I would punish the tribe Oinna interpreted the answer and the grim old chiefs chief's rejoinder The uThe Longknife's mouth was big at the agency Here he Is alone in my camp and his mouth is small I talk as ns I talked at the agency What TI Ti-owa-konza Ti owa konza claims I said about punishing the tribe Is not the truth There must have been a mistake Inthe in inthe n the interpretation or the chiefs did not hear aright I had only peace and friendship In is my heart I said that I Idid Idid Idid did not blame the killing of Mr air the tribe This statement failed to break |