Show I I A Tale aIe o of Adventures onAn on By By y Robert Ames Bennet R An Indian R Reservation p men i II y U 14 11 11 u II 1 l CJ 11 C n 1 IC Ii The two preceding Installments described the rescue of a quarter quarter- I Ii Indian attack at the edge of Lakotah from an breed girl and two men i Indian reservation by Capt Floyd Hardy U. U S. S A. A the new Indian Reginald nephew of United agent The rescued ones are arc States and agency clerk Jacques Dupont post trader Marie tells Hardy of disaffection among and his daughter the Indians of the murder of the last agent and of his havI havIng hav- hav havI I Hardy calls a council of chiefs chiefe at at the Ing been promised the agency 3 the tho halfbreed Interpreter brings his sister Oinna to to ti tithe agency the DuI Duponts Du Du- I the valley Captain Hardy ac accepts a dinner Invitation from ponts poets and learns something which amazes him and causes all sorts of I I trouble i l lJj i ljj li CHAPTER IV IV Continued 3 The hostess signed her Indian boy to take the bor box Into the parlor together with the Ice bucket in which was still sUll left a bottle of champagne As he obeyed she bowed her dismissal of the guests from the table I shall now permit myself to be fatigued she said Good evening Mr Good evening Captain Hardy nodded and followed Dupont Dupont Dupont Du Du- pont with a n nonchalant bearing t that at drew attention from the slight uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty of his step Hardy lingered for fora This has a wor word of appreciation been a most enjoyable evening Miss Dupont She chose to disregard the sincerity and warmth behind the formal phrase You are very ery kind Captain Hardy But pray do not overestimate Where all else is off-color off three-quarters three white s seems ems dazzling Believe me it is not a question of contrast or comparison he protested Not even in New York or Washington Washington Washing WashIng- ton ton ton- You Tou flatter me And now as I am tired tired tired- He bowed and left her concealing the sting sung of her polite rebuff rebut under his grave smile The Indian boy who was standing at the parlor door closed it behind the guest at a sign from Marie Dupont took the drink that he had poured out for himself and undertook the perilous operation of opening the champagne He fumbled the bottle and would have dropped it had not Van Van- jumped up and taken it from him Thrust aside by the younger man he lle lurched and sat down in a chair near Hardy ben ben in ice ho he explaIned explained explained ex ex- with solemn emphasis He threw back his head and burst Into an uproarious laugh like like that mouche gobe-mouche Him trying to smooth me down down- zif wn-zif d zif that'd give him 1 m a n show with Mrie 1 An me the squarest trader in the U. U SI S1 Why lash time I got goods on credit they sheet me a n to my n I Jush lush took my pen pea in han hann hann n wrote cross tha shere lash lish I dont don't owe no man He again drew back his head and let out a n hoarse laugh Poor grammar but rich rhetoric Jake Take remarked as he filled the champagne glasses You told me I they gave you the credit you asked I I got J got the goods said Dupont pulling pull pull- ing himself together and sobering his tongue with an effort Nothing like being on the square That's what makes me sore at them there chiefs chief Cap Wont Won't let me help out the bucks and squaws what's aching for work work work- good pay in trade goods and us takIng taking tak tak- ing lag all risks on the ore smelting out N tt G. G What'll the tribe do after they git their last issue next spring That's what Id I'd like to know Yes captain said Next spring will come com l the last issue of goods that is provided for in the government treaty with this tribe They will be in a bad fix if something is not done to get them used to white ways How about a new treaty to partition partition partition parti parti- tion the reservation and give land in I severalty severally to each each head of a n family suggested H Hardy That would take a long time to t bring about and meantime the young bucks s should be taught to work Why wouldn't It be a good Idea for us to take charge of the mine pay mine pay all who want to work at fair wages and take the risk of getting our money back out of the ore shipments As made the suggestion he smiled Ingenuously and his handsome hand- hand handsome handsome some flushed face shone with philanthropic philanthropic philanthropic philan philan- enthusiasm Hardys Hardy's face lighted lighted lighted light light- ed with a responsive glow He He- smiled Into the boyish blue eyes The proposal docs does you credit he responded You may count on me to contribute my share You will will you Cap exclaimed Dupont He reached out his thick fin hand Youre in hey Put It there old pard I t Just you make them damn s yI savvy they've got to hustle for what we give em like No No- gen done and well we'll round up fifty thousand apiece before snow files flies that demanded Hardy in In- stiffening to stern rigidity He failed to catch the furious glance from that sent their half halt fuddled host lurching over to th the whisky y bottle When he did turn th the chief clerk met his hard glance with a knowing solving wink anti ami a n chuckling com corn gent 1 Hardy Bardy did not smile Explain he lie ordered Oh you Oh you mean Jakes Jake's pipe dream that hat this low-grade low stuff may some sometime sometime time Ime turn into a n streak of solid soUd gold But of course you wouldn't stand for forthe forthe the ho three of or us dividing up the proceeds proceeds pro- pro eeds even if it did turn out a n bonanza bonanza bonanza bo bo- bo- bo nanza Certainly not Your idea would be to give all nil the profits to the tribe even if we had bought ought the ore and taken the risk of or its turning out worthless I am aID the acting agent not n a trader I l muttered Dupont That aint no way to treat n Ii white whiteman whiteman whiteman man Cap Wont Won't you OU let em trade me meno meno meno no more ore I uI shall investigate before I decide said aid Hardy and he rose to leave Good evening Good evening Mr He went out Dupont gaped after him Im and grunted incredulously Fifty thousand made housand made it fifty thousand and he didn't jump at it I 1 Told you so snapped But well we'll fix him yet yet two two more cards up p our sleeve If It one fails falls to take the trick well we'll play the other Were We're not going to be bluffed out at this stage of the he game Dupont caught at the whisky bottle with a shaking hand No uNo by y Gar he protested We dont don't play that other ther card Mr Van I quit first Oh well replied if youre you're oure going to throw down I shall not try ry to play pIny it alone But youre you're in on the he next play Dupont grunted and poured himself a fu full glass of whisky A CHAPTER V V. V By ByPlay Sunrise found riding down the valley on his nimble-footed nimble pinto He left the road and cantered across into the bend where had md pointed out his new house to Hardy When Then rode up was shoveling clay upon the uncovered brush brosh thatch at nt one corner of f the roof The halfbreed did not stop top work until his visitor drew rein almost within arms arm's reach met his civil greeting with a cynical smile mile So youve you've you a home Charlie Hows How's your sister Winna That's the name Isn't it No we say it ee O The school people eople made her get up at four I told all if she liked her to sleep day Come up the creek I want vant to tell teU you something replied When they had gone beyond earshot of the he cabin he stopped his pony and faced aced the uneasy halfbreed with a look of f sympathetic concern Charlie Its It's all up face turned a mottled gray All All all up he gasped Amounts to the same thing answered an an- We sounded him last ast night He wont won't sit In to the game the the board-backed board fool No chance I I t J I i I s sr r s r U 9 c AT f Its Up to Us to Bluff Him or Throw Down to deal with him and you know what that means Next thing ding hell he'll have it I all out of the chiefa the chiefe-the the mine mine every every thing No no Mr Van I 1 He cant can't find out They dont don't know about what you and me me- me Nobody saw us us nobody If II there'd been a fresh track anywhere Inside a 2 quarter mile I couldn't have missed It It shrugged If Tm Im not so sure of that You are not a full-blood full tracker But what 1 11 if that Is covered Its It's bad enough As soon as he finds out about the mine he will wUl kick the whole bunch of ot us off the reservation That's the Ule kind of fool he is He cant can't put me off Im I'm a n member of ot the tribe Yes and Jake Is a member by mar mar- tinge Lots of good that will wilt do you both both In In the guardhouse cringed at the word But my sister sister- He wont won't put me in Wait and see when he finds out how liow things have been going here Let him find out anything against you rou and its it's Charlie in the jug with his job gone glimmering The halfbreed looked up his eyes desperate his face set In the grin of a n cornered rat He muttered a n curse it boy I encouraged Van Van- Dont lay Iny down Were We're with you But remember weve we've got to make a bluff Its It's up to us to bluff 1 him m off oft or throw down I dont don't understand you Mr Van Here It Is then He doesn't know n a word of Lakotah The tribe doesn't know inow English You are the Interpreter Get that shook his head No I dont Yes you do Charlie Weve We've already told old Hardy that there is a lot of bad blood stirred up It will be easy to translate the tho talk of the chiefs that way You can start in by telling them how he pacified the Moros He killed nearly as many of them as ns there are members of this tribe The chiefs he put In Jail All the rest he be moved to ton n another other island you Island you can say to another another another an an- other reservation But if that is a a. a lie lie lie- It uIt isn't Its It's exactly what happened hap hap- The Moro head hend chief was kept in n jail until he was hung Be sure to tell that to old Thunderbolt lt If It falls fails to warm him him Wm hunk I l gasped The They once p put t him in jail for a n week If I tell him it will make him fighting mad That s what we want Ill I'll post you to o Interpret what he says in a way that will get Hardys Hardy's goat No fo man has ras nerve nervo to stand up to n a whole tribe He will have to quit Then the job comes to me You know what that means You promised me a n full tull share Yes Tes and that means a n third of thenet the thenet thenet net proceeds now that Is out of tho the way Only remember you get nothing none nothing none of us gets a cent more out of It it it-It If Hardy stays Its It's up to you rou now Charlie You turn the trick and get your share or you fall down lose ose share and job and go to the guard- guard house on ouse- ouse on n your way to the federal penitentiary Which Is it to be bei grin had bad changed to o the grimace of a n rabid coyote Curse him I he be snarled Ill In make him run clean to town Good boy boyl I praised Had your breakfast Yes Th Then n trot rot up to the agency and pass the time of day to the chiefs as they come In n. n It will help belp things along to post them hem beforehand Dont Don't forget that Hardy is a n hearted cold-hearted army martinet I Iwho who despises Indians He is planning to stop all I Issue sue goods and Intends to punish the chiefs for the killing kUling of No- No gen jen But If he leaves the reservation I become the agent I will make muke no trouble over and will see that the government keeps giving Issue goods to the tribe for a n long time That's the talk Now trot along and get them screwed up Oinna 2 said Dont waste time going back replied replied re re- re- re plied Ill Til stop and tell your our sister not to expect you home un un- un- un til after the council Get busy busy Wait Walt We Ve can cun work In the police Tell them they are ordered to wait walt at the guardhouse guardhouse guard- guard house until the council Is under way yay They are then to march around and post themselves behind Hardy fully armed If the chiefs get angry they are to close up around Hardy Are you on responded with an nn eager nod and started off of at a Jog trot Van Van- smiled turned his pony about and rode back to the cabin Without I dismounting he reached down and knocked the door opened a scant inch and Oinna peeped out at th the visitor IILo Lo he said In an on indifferent tone I brought word woid to your brother that he lie was wanted at once Told him I would let you know He will not b be home until after the council Thank you sir murmured the girl No IINo trouble at all reI replied lI Van Vander Vander- erv er- er v n You dont don't happen vo eo have a n drink of good water hao handy y do you Instinctive hospitality of 0 the girls girl's shyness Her tall young joung figure and handsome face appeared as the thedoor thedoor the door swung open I boll the water Do you like tea toa T she asked In a n voice All right When she returned to the door he was tightening his bis saddle girth He kept her waiting several moments before b before be be- fore he turned to take the cup of tea The hand that held the cup was rough from hard work but the girls girl's cheap calico dress was neat and clean and It covered n a form as supple and erect as asa asa asa a reed Unlike her brother she had Inherited Inherited inherited In In- only the good features of her parents The blend of types apparent In her face was far from unpleasing She kept her soft brown eyes shyly downcast Yet she must have watched him covertly through her long lashes The tea was hot He sipped it slowly slowlY- and gloated on the girls girl's confusion Unable Unable Un Un- able longer to endure the strain Oinna at last faltered In timid desperation You You you are Mr Van Charlie Charlie he he said you ou and he are partners Partners repeated repented with a quick frown He said that The girl shrank back Please sir he didn't mean anything wrong What more did he say Nothing only Nothing only that Please its it's only his way of talking all nn right Dont Don't be afraid reassured her with a quick change to smiling friendliness I am Charlies Charlie's best friend Oh thank you thank you I 1 He He Ismy is ismy ismy my only brother We Wo have nobody else only ourselves In her gratitude the girl forgot her self She raised her soft eyes and looked full at nt Vander Vander- VIl He smiled and bent nearer Though she blushed scarlet she was unable to turn her gaze away from his ardent blue eyes eJes O nah he drew out her name In Inthe Inthe inthe the caressing tone that he would have used In fn fondling a pet dog She smiled even as she trembled He came closer Her gaze wavered and sank before the look in his glowing eyes and she shrank back He sought to put his arm about her but she sprang clear with the agility of a n startled startled startled star star- doe Oh come now I l he urged Just n a kiss What's the harm of a kiss The girl had retreated into the cabin He blocked the door There was no noway noway noway way for her to elude him if he wished to press his vantage No no please I she begged At school they told me mo only bad girls let men kiss them Bah I he scoffed What do those old fossils know about It His voice deepened to an alluring richness Come I will not hurt you yon Oinna Give me mo a n kiss Let me let me-let let me out I she panted Not unless you yon pay toll She looked around for some way of escape There was none She stared wildly out through the window and then tl en looked at him over her shoulder The sudden stillness of her pose checked and disquieted him Was It possible that she had seen her brother returning He sprang outside and around to the corner of the cabin A short distance away he saw Marie Marle Dupont riding across from the road at a smart can can- ter He waved his hat bat to her and faced about Just as Oinna was |