Show H 8 The EJ 9 a Q p D 0 LJ I I j to b i An Indian Reservation Tale by ROBERT AMES BENNET N 0 o oThe The three preceding installments described the rescue of a girl and two men from an Indian Attack at the edge of Lakotah Indian reservation by Capt Floyd Hardy U. U S. S A. A Af the new Indian agent The rescued ones are Reginald nephew of United States Senator Clemmer and agency clerk Jacques a Dupont post trader and his daughter Marie tells Hardy of disaffection among the Indians of the e murder of the last agent and of or his having been promised the agency Hardy calls a council of head tribesmen the halfbreed Interpreter brings his pretty sister Oinna to the valley The new agent learns earns that the Indians have been cheated and has to and reason suspect Dupont of crookedness o. o He plans to square matters with the tribesmen How Captain Hardy is thwarted in n his purpose how his life o is endangered how shows his true character is told in very absorbing style in this installment 0 CHAPTER VI VI Continued I 4 Unseen by his superior nodded encouragingly to and smiled at the Indians Hardy had not turned his steady gaze gazo from Tl Tl-owa- Tl owa- owa konza tonza The chief is not angry he said We shall soon be friends Tell him Wm that I come In peace with a good heart toward all nil the tribe I do not blame the killing of Mr on the tribe If white men have done any wrong to the tribe I shall stop the wrongdoing If U there are any members of the tribe who are doing wrong the chiefs should help me make all do right This time ar did not hesitate He faced the assembly and rolled out outa a flood of Lakotah with desperate ra ra- ra Almost immediately Ti Tl-owa- Tl owa- owa Konza if rose to reply his face ablaze with indignation his voice impassioned When he had spoken he be remained standing He says BaTS he is angry began Red Red- bearNo bear No No brusquely contradicted Hardy Look at nt his bis face The others are an an- He Is not There is some mis mis- understanding Be careful that you i Interpret correctly He says he is angry insisted Red Red- bear his sidelong glance looking past Hardy to who was nodding re reassuringly He says he is trying to keep it Inside but the others cant can't bold hold it Inside He says you have got gotto gotto gotto to go away or th there re will be fighting Hardy straightened on his chair and his look became severe He spoke sharply Tell the chief it is useless to ask me to go away I do not wish to send for the But they will come and fight the tribe if there theres Is Is' s nu any uprising interpretation was followed followed fol fol- lowed by n a hush more threatening than gestures features or outcries hastily hastily has has- tily beckoned to the policemen They c came along under the overhang of ot the warehouse uso until they were behind the white men Hardy heard beard the soft cu cuffle le of their feet in the lust Just He lie looked around and frowned How Is s this he demanded I III particularly wished no demonstration Df of t force said Hardy Well since the police are here hadn't you better let them stay It will be close enough work If matters come ome to a 0 scrap and theres there's Mario Marie out outto outto outto to see the tho fun tun Hardy turned around to look at the I daring flaring guilt girl She stood on a slight knoll knoll i midway between the assembled Indians and her fathers father's cabin Take her back to the house bouse he be or dered tiered But would It be wise for me to leave leav e you fOU and Charlie Just now The police pollee may not stay loyal If If- If Go IThe I IThe The command was peremptory Van Van- started off oft yet contrived to ex ex- rr r 1 1 f I Ir 1 r M Mo I 1 if o ti Ti-owa Ti Konza Ti-owa-Konza Konza R Rose s t to Reply ply His His Face Abl Ablaze e With indignation change glances with Hardy studied the semicircle of waiting Indians Indians In In- and as with a resolute gaze owa Ti Ti-owa- before fixed tiled his attention upon konza We hWe must learn what is the tile cause j rr he remarked to the e of ot this ill feeling are halfbreed Ask them why they are to their young men trading opposed p ore are for Duponts Dupont's good goods j i spoke slowly to the Indians not unlike that of a man manner his Approaches a barrel of gunpowder approaches who I lighted torch There was no with a flared but the old head chief i anger lIe He replied unmistakable with that wo won with a 11 fiery from his fellows grunts of approval unsteady voice was Tho as ns he Interpreted He lIe He he says there shall be no more barter of ore He says all over oyer again that this Is theland the theland land of his tribe and white men have no right here and he hates all Long Long- knives Tell him that he lie is mistaken The soldiers have always been the best friends of the tIle Indians I find that after next nest spring no more food and goods are to be issued to the tribe Sooner or later white men will come and take the ore if the Indians do not dig it themselves Another thing I believe the tribe should agree to the dividing up of their land so that each head of a family can cnn have his own farm and work It after the manner of the white men Other tribes have done this and the they are no longer poor hesitated stepped more aside from Hardy and began to pour out a n torrent of He had spoken spoken ken only a few sentences when a wave of agitation passed over the semicircle of Indians Blankets slipped down from copper red copper red shoulders fierce eyes glared menacingly at Hardy Several of the more excitable bucks leaped up with bow and rifle rUle In hand Hardy thrust out from among the police and raised his hands to Ti Ti-owa- konza In the peace sign Th The head chief called to his fellows and turned tanned his back upon the agent with deliberate deUber deliberate ate contempt All the others faced about and followed him to the waiting ponies The band mounted and rode off up the valley In morose silence CHAPTER VII The Common Law There was still more than a trace of red In Hardys Hardy's sallow cheeks when Mare Ma Ma- Marie rie re and Dupont came in upon him at the office Dupont held out a congratulatory handBy handBy hand By gar Cap he said you sure had a mighty close squeak of it that time Guess old Tl TI got fired all-fired hot Wheres Where's Charlie I sent him to reassure his sister and the families of the po po- lice That That was very thoughtful of you captain said Marie Marle But it would be far more consider consider- considerate ate If you would leave the reservation reservation reserva reserva- tion added How flow so queried Hardy Of course you'll fancy I am thinking thinkIng thinking think think- ing of my promotion But Its It's not that at all Ask Jake I III got it from the said Du Du- pont The whole bunch was crazy to shoot you they'd done It t too only Charlie sings out to em that Mr Van was going to be agent and you'd go away He said that thaU Oh captain dont don't be angry at Charlie Char Char- lie He interceded Marie He had to doIt do doIt doIt It to save a fight But why I could not have been more friendly Yet everything I said seemed to anger themI them I told you they're a ornery bunch replied Dupont It was for be because ause you OU being an officer The chiefs hate all soldiers like Most of the theold theold theold old ones was In the ghost dance craze and got jailed by the soldiers They may cool down and be willing willingto to listen to reason argued Hardy Cool down They'll go back and sit and stew and stew till hell bolls boils over Next Nest thing happens they'll stir up the young bucks Nom Norn dun chien I Just when I was gitting enough ahead in my business to take care of my old age and give Marie a n chance to be bea a n. lady to lady to stand to lose everything and her and my scalp to boot lYou l I You are free to leave here with her whenever you wish No I aint I cant can't leave my store nIl ail all my property There would be bo no danger l If it were not for you said Marie her eyes flashing with Indignation If only you had not come here 1 If there Is an nn outbreak out reale it will be all your fault I 1 Mine Mine Oh I know you mean well But if they've tal taken en this violent dislike to you you you- OU Why ever did you come You s saw aw saw how they like Mr Van Had they thought you ou would Insist on staying nothing could have kept them from attacking you But the promise that tha t Mr Van is to be their agent that pacified pail paci fied fled them Had you never come here all this would not have happened Th The e ei chiefs would have come to talk with i Mr Van and would have gone back bac k sa satisfied tI ea Hardy swung around In his chair t to o scrutinize the tile guileless face of Van What do you say to that sir h he o Interrogated What can cnn I s SJ r r replied Vender Vender- J t f 0 v. v twisting the tip of his blond mus mus- tache ache It is for you to decide to leave cave for the good of the tribe or orto orto to 0 stay and take the chance of an nn up up- rising The way you put It It It- considered lardy Hardy Perhaps it might be better for fol or all concerned if I should leave You bet it would Cap eagerly broke roke in Dupont Taint no joke Them ornery cusses Ml 11 11 git you like they hey done with just as sure as shooting shot a furious glance atthe at athe he the blunderer Marie was looking at lardy Hardy But she did not need to seethe see seethe the he tightening of his Tips lips to realize what her father had done Oh Pere Perel I she reproached Why did you say It You should have known cnown Captain Hardy could not leave after that Quite right Miss Dupont said Hardy You mean you wont won't leave asked Dupont How can cnn he smoothly cut in Youve put It up to him that it t would be deserting his post under fire Hes He's an army officer officer officer-he he wouldn't leave eave now even If he knew his staying here meant certain massacre for us usall usall usall all followed by certain massacre of the he tribe by the troops I iI will remain until I have made at least cast one more effort to pacify the tribe ribe replied Hardy You are at liberty to resign whenever you please Jr Mr Dupont has hns ample time to remove Us his goods and his daughter from the reservation Not me declared Marie I dont don't care caie what Pere and Reggie say I know enow there is not one of the tribe who would harm me even In an nn outbreak Well Nell not not admitted her ber fa fa- there her I III gather that I am the only person who vho seems to be endangered re re- remarked marked Hardy This being so I will wait a a. few days for the excitement to subside and will then call another council Th They y wont won't come agin agn to meet you predicted Dupont Then I shall go to them Into the mountains captain exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed Marie Murle her splendid eyes widening widening widening wid wid- ening with concern Surely you will not venture among the camps The liThe tribe must learn that I mean friendship Dupont paused to scratch the side of his head But spoke without an Instants Instant's hesitancy You have no right to throw your life Ufe away uselessly captain Suppose Charlie and ind I make a trip to the camps to see seef 1 if f we cannot quiet the tribe and talk the he chiefs into giving you another hearing bearing If you have no objection we could tell them that you cannot leave just now but that you will do so as soon as you have tried to benefit them And that Mr be next nert agent added Dupont Will you tell them that I am here hereto to help them and to be their friend queried Hardy Trust rust me to put It to them strong captain assured I kno know w you'll play fair by resigning in my favor favor fa fa- fa vor as soon as you have the tribe in hand After I have done what I can do to Improve conditions among them qualified qualIfied qualified Hardy I do so hope Mr Van can persuade e them to be friendly with you said Marie 1 I III know he and ana Charlie will willbe willbe be perfectly safe But it will be harto hard har d to talk them out of ot their strange dislike dislike dig dis dis- dis like Uke to you When will you start Reggie Reggie Reggie Reg Reg- gie Early tomorrow morning if the captain cap thin tain has no objections The sooner the better agree agreed d Hardy Ill go and remove my council costume costume cos cos- tume said smiling at l his s irreproachable frock coat Marie and her father Lather rose with him Hardy bowed out the girl and returned to his desk He TIe was deep in the midst of a report on the tribe when half an hour later returned to theoffice the theoffice theoffice office In his riding togs Charlie may not come back this afternoon he remarked I thought though I 1 might ride down and tell him about the trip I could fetch your our maje mitre for you ou Very well I shall be obliged replied replied replied re re- re- re plied Hardy and he returned to his study of the Uie he report rode down along the far farside farside farside side of the stream keeping the thickets thick ets eta as much as ns possible between himself him self and the Dupont house He did not nol the creek until nail he was op op- opposite opposite home He found the cabin door closed But at tit a n slight movement of the window curtains his I hand went up to beckon with a n lordly I I gesture There was a short pause Then the door opened s scant inch II Hello io I 1 he said There's Theres your yourI I brother lIe He has has bas has gone to tell the police po- po Ilc lice Ice families On the agents agent's mare guessed Van Van- Please Please he he didn't mean menn any harm harm- harm please dont don't tell on him That depends replied Do you qu think I care to favor him when you act as ns if you hate me Hate No no 1 The door opened several Inches and as suddenly closed to a narrow crack But had caught a glimpse of or the girls girl's blushing face His voice dropped to a caressing tone Youre not afraid of or me are you just because I wanted a kiss Come out here and talk I wont won't bite you You promise not to to to-to to kiss me Not unless you wish me to But but but I do l 1 came back the naive confession conCession i Impulsively he started to swing of oft off I his pony The cabin door shut with witha a bang He straightened in the saddle waited d a long moment frowned heavily i ily ly and started to ride away From the window came a plaintive cry Oh please please I He deliberately dismounted flung the reins over oyer his horses horse's head and walked to the opened window The eager frightened face within blushed scarlet and shrank back He stopped short See here he admonished if youre you're going to be silly I shall go away for forIt fort I t o oLi Li I I I I J y s f I It lilt Will Be Hard to Talk Them Out of Their Strange Dislike for You good Youve You've got the door barred and you know I shall not try to crawl crawlIn In at a hole like this I I 1 I wont won't be she faltered better he said and he reached in to slip his arm around her trembling shoulders Shrinking yet yielding with eyes eye timidly downcast and olive cheeks burning with blissful shame the young girl allowed him to draw her closer Her lips quivered yet she raised them t to meet his kiss There I he rallied Was It so dreadful She did not answer she could not notHer Her head hend drooped forward with the instinctive modesty of an innocent t young girl He put the forefinger of his free hand under her chin and raised her head to take a second kiss One good turn deserves es another t sweetheart he said You should not not not-not not call me that she whispered You are a gentleman white man I am only a halfbreed Im I'm yellow as a Chinaman No No golden You are my golden girl Your cheeks are wild roses and honey gold Your eyes are like a n. fawns fawn's your lips sweet as honey Another kiss kiss kiss- There that's more like it Youre You're learning how Now look at me She raised her drooping lids wit with h the sudden desperate courage of one who is s very shy and gazed up at him her |