Show I 1 M PARM 12 21 aa app I 1 Z I 1 i I 1 za aal MM k T RT E QU A I 1 R T Es iea em 0 ae PEI irn ir N by A tale of 0 adventures on wa obea robert ames beemen reservation an indian barrs FF S 11 z Z pap 11 i u the two preceding installments described the rescue of a q quarter barter 91 y attack at the edge of lakotah PA fe indian breed girl and two men from an indian reservation by capt floyd hardy U S A the new indian gl 3 3 agent the rescued ones are reginald Vand vanderlyn ervyn nephew of united E states senator clemmer and agency clerk jacques dupont post trader gj and his daughter marie Vand vanderlyn ervyn tells hardy of disaffection among bg g the indians of the murder of the last agent and of his hav g ing been promised the agency hardy calls a council of chiefs at the biffi g agency car the half halfbreed lareed interpreter brings bring s his sister oinna to R g the valley captain hardy accepts a dinner invitation from the du E ponts and learns something which amazes him and causes all sorts of trouble Q CHAPTER IV continued 3 the hostess signed her indian boy to take the box into the parlor together with the ice bucket in which was still left a bottle of champagne As he obeyed she bowed ll 11 her r dismissal of the guests from the table 1 I shall now permit myself to be fatigued she said good evening mr Vand vanderlyn ervyn good evening captain hardy vanderlyn Vand ervyn nodded and followed dupont with a nonchalant bearing that drew attention from the slight uncertainty of his step nardy hardy lingered for a word of appreciation this has been a most enjoyable evening miss bliss dupont she chose to disregard the sincerity and warmth behind the formal phrase you tire are very kind captain hardy but pray do not overestimate where all else is off color three quarters white seems dazell dazzling believe me it Is not a question of contrast or comparison he protested not even in new york or washington 71 you flatter roe me and now as I 1 am ti tired red he ere bowed and left her concealing the sting of her polite rebuff under his grave smile the indian boy who was standing tit at the parlor door closed it behind the guest at a sign from baarle dupont took the drink that he had poured out for himself and undertook the perilous operation of opening the champagne ile he fumbled the bottle and would have dropped it had not van delvyn jumped up and taken it from him bint thrust aside by the tha younger man he lurched and sat down in a chair near hardy ben in ice he explained with solemn emphasis ite ire threw back his head and burst into an uproar uproarious lous laugh like that gobe mouche him trying to smooth ine down zif give him a show with mrle mrie an me the squarest trader in tile the V U S why lash time I 1 got goods on oil credit they abent me a to lesht slit my fes n I 1 jush took my pen in han ban n wrote cross I 1 aha ha shere lish 1 I dont owe no man ii 11 lie he again drew back his head and let out a hoarse laugh poor grammar but rich rhetoric jake remarked vanderlyn Vand ervyn its as he filled the champagne glasses you told me they gave you the credit you asked for 1 I got tho the goods said dupont pulling himself together and sobering his tongue with an effort nothing like being on the square what makes me sore at them there chiefs cap wont let me help out tile bucks and squaws squads aching for work good pay in trade goods and us taking in all risks on the ore smelting smelling sm elting out N G the tribe do after they git their last issue next nest spring what id like to know yes captain said vanderlyn Vand ervyn N next L ext spring will come the last issue of goods that is provided for in tile the government treaty with this tribe they will be in a bad fix if gom something ething Is not done to gc get A them used to white ways now how about a fiew new treaty to partition the reservation and give 1 land and in severalty severally to each head of a family suggested nardy hardy that would take a long time to tiling about and meantime tile the young bucks should be tau taught lit to work wily why it be a good idea for us to take charge of the 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 vanderlyn Vand ervyn made the sugg suggestion he smiled ingenuously and ills his ban handsome d flu flushed lied face shone with philanthropic enthusiasm hardys ardys II face lighted with a responsive glow ile he smiled into the boyish blue eyes the proposal does you credit lie he responded you may count on me to contribute my share you will N will vill you cap call ex exclaimed jailed dupont tie ile reached out his thick fin land hand youre in licy hey put it there old pard just you make them damn kl ki YI s savvy got to hustle bustle for what we give lem cm like done and well round up fifty thousand apiece before snow flies floesl that demanded hardy instantly stiffening to stern rigidity ile he tailed failed to catch the furious glance from vanderlyn Vand ervyn that sent their half fuddled cuddled hot lurching oyer over to the ky bottle when lie he did turn the chief clerk met hla his hard glance with a knowing wink alink ani a chuckling comment sniffled SpIff cd led 1 nardy hardy did not smile explain he ordered oh you menn jakes pipe dream that this low grade stuff may some time turn into a streak of solid gold but of course you stand for the three of us dividing up the proceeds even it if it did turn out la a bonanza certainly not your idea would be to give all the profits to the tribe even it if we had bought the ore and taken the risk of its turning out worthless 1 I am the acting agent not a trader Ko i muttered dupont that aint no way to treat a white man cap wont you let em eat trade me no more ore 1 I shall investigate before I 1 decide said hardy and lie he rose to leave good evening good evening mr air vanderlyn Vand ervyn 11 lie ile went out dupont gaped after liim him and grunted incredulously fifty thousand made it fifty thousand and lie he jump at iti told you so snap snapped peti vanderlyn Vand ervyn but well fix him yet two more cards up our sleeve if one falls to take the trick well play the other were not going to be bluffed out at this stage of the game dupont anu caught it nt lit the whisky bottle with a shaking land hand no by gar lie he protested we dont play that other card sir mr van I 1 quit first oh well replied vanderlyn Vand ervyn it if youre going to throw down I 1 shall not try to play it alone but in on the he next play dupont grunted and poured himself afuli i full glass of whisky CHAPTER V byplay by play sunrise found vanderlyn Vand ervyn riding down the valley on his nimble tooted footed pinto he left the road and cantered across into the bend where had pointed out his new house to hardy when vanderlyn Vand ervyn rode up was shoveling clay upon the u uncovered ne brush thatch at one corner ot of tile the roof the halfbreed did not stop work until ills his visitor drew rein almost within arms reach V vanderlyn Vand and ervyn met his civil greeting with a cynical smile so youve you a home charlie hows your sister winna wilma the name it no we say it 0 ee ce nali nah the school people made her get up at four I 1 told her to sleep all day it if she liked like come up the creole creek I 1 want to tell you something replied Vand vanderlyn ervyn when they had gone beyond earshot ot of the cabin lie he stopped ills his pony and faced the uneasy halfbreed with a look of sympathetic concern charlie its all up 11 Red bears face turned a mottled gray all III all up lie he gap gaippe ga p pd amounts to the s same ame tit thing 0 answered vanderlyn Vand ervyn we sounded him last night ire he wont sit in to the game the board backed fool no chance 9 lk 1 1 4 1 1 I 1 I 1 its up to Us to bluff him or throw down to deal with him and you know what w hat that In means elins next nest tiling thing hell have it ft all out of the chieto the mine mille everything no no sir van 1 ite ile cant find out they dont know about what you and rue me nobody saw us nobody if been a fr fresh sh track anywhere inside a quarter mile I 1 have missed it vanderlyn Vand ervyn shrugged im not so sure of that you tire are not a full blood tracker nut but what nhat it if that Is covered bitsi 11 IL its bad enough As soon as lie he finds out about the mine he be will kick hick tile the whole bunch of us off the reservation the kind ot of fool he Is ile he cant put me off im a member of ill alie tribe yes find jalio jake Is a member by marriage lots of good that will do you both 1 in the guardhouse cringed tit nt the word vord cut but my sister no lie wont put roe me in walt and see when he finds out how flow things have been going here let him find out anything against you and its charlie in the jug with his job gone glimmering 11 the halfbreed looked up his eyes desperate his face set in the grin of ai a cornered rat ile he muttered a curse it boyl boy encouraged van delvyn dont lay down were with you but remember weve got to make a bluff its up to us to bluff him off or throw down 1 I dont understand you sir van q here it Is then lie ile know a word of lakotah the tribe know english you are the interpreter get that shook his head no I 1 dont yes you do charlie weve already told hardy that there is a lot of bad blood stirred up it will be easy to translate the talk of the chiefs that way you can start in by telling them how he pacified paci fled the lie moros he killed nearly as many of them as there tire are members of this tribe the chiefs he put in jail all the rest lie he moved to another island you can say to another reservation but if that is a lie it its exactly what happened PC ned the moro head chief was kept in jail until he was hung be sure to tell that to old thunderbolt if it falls to warm him hunk gasped Eed bear they once put him in jail for a week if I 1 tell him it will make him fighting mad what we want ill post you to interpret what lie says in a way that will get hardys goat no man has nerve to stand up to a whole tribe ue ile will have to quit then the job comes to me you know what that means you promised me a full share yes and that means a third of the net proceeds now that is out of tile the way only remember you get nothing none of U us S ge gets is a cent more out of it if hardy stays its up to you now charlie you turn tile the trick and get your share or you fall down lose share and job and go to the guardhouse on your way to the federal penitentiary which is it to be cars grin had changed changeat to the grimace of a rabid coyote curse him laimi lie he snarled ITZ make him bini run clean to town good boyr boy praised vanderlyn Vand ervyn had your breakfast yes then trot up to the agency and pass the time of day to the chiefs as they come in it will help things along to post them beforehand dont forget that hat hardy Is a coldhearted cold hearted army martinet mho vi ho despises indians ile he Is planning to stop all issue goods and intends to pun punish I 1 s h the chiefs for the killing of but if he leaves the reservation I 1 become the he agent I 1 will make no trouble over and will see that the government keeps giving issue goods to the tribe for a long time the talk now trot along and get them screwed up Ohi oinna lift said car dont waste time going back re plied vanderlyn Vand ervyn ni 1111 stop and tell your sister not to expect you howe home until til after the coundi council get busy walt wait we can work in the police tell them they are ordered to walt wait at the guardhouse until the council Is under way they are then to march around and P pt pot t themselves behind hardy fully armed if the chiefs get angry they are arc to close up around hardy are you on responded with an eager nod and started olt off at a jog trot van delvyn smiled turned his pony about and rodo rode back to the cabin without dismounting lie he reached soa doln arad rif 1 knocked the door opened a scant inch anil and oinna peeped out at the lisl i tor 10 lo lie he in on an indifferent tone 1 I brought vord mori to your brother that lie he was wanted at once tom told him I 1 would let you know inow ire he will not be homo home until after the council thank you sir murmured mur muied the girl no trouble at nil all vander you tou dont happen 1 ko 0 have a drink of good water handy ilo do you instinctive hospitality our canie the girls shyness her tall idling boung figure and handsome face appeared as the door sung open 1 I boll boil the water do you like tea she asked in a flutell he voice all rig right I 1 it when she returned to tile the door lie he was tightening it his saddle girth lie ile kept her waiting several moments before lie he turned to take tile the cup clip of tea tho the hind hand that held the cut cup was rough from hard work but tile the girls cheap calico dress was neat and clean and it cohered a form as supple stipple and erect as a reed unlike her brother she had inherited merited only tile good features of her parents the blend of types apparent in glicr ter face was far from unpleasing she kept her soft brown eyes shyly downcast yet she must have watched him covertly through her long ions lashes the tea was liot hot lie ile sipped it slowly and gloated on the girls contusion confusion unable longer to endure the strain olnia at last faltered in timid desperation f you you are mr air van charlie lie he said you and lie he are partners partners repeated with a quick frown lie he said that the girl shrank back please sir lie he mean anything wrong what more did he say nothing only that please its s only his iby way of talking all right dont be afraid vanderlyn Vand ervyn reassured her with a quick change to smiling 0 o friendliness 1 I am charlies charlie s best fri friend nd oil oh thank you thank you I 1 he Is my only brother we have nobody else only ourselves in her gratitude the girt girl forgot her self consciousness she raised her soft eyes and looked full at vander lie ere smiled and bent nearer though she blushed scarlet she was unable to turn her gaze away from tom his 8 ardent blue eyes 0 ee nah he drew out her name in the caressing tone that he would have used in fondling a pet dog slie she smiled even as she trembled ne ile came closer ncr her gaze wavered and sank before tile the look in his glowing eyes and she shrank back ne ile sought to put his arm about her but she sprang clear with the agility of v startled doe oh come now I 1 he be urged just a kiss the harm of a kiss the girl had retreated into tile the cabin ne ile blocked the door there was no way for her to elude him if he wished to press his vantage no no please she begged at school they told me only bad girls let men kiss them bali bah he scoffed what do those old fossils know about it ills his voice deepened to an alluring richness come I 1 will not hurt you oinna give me a kiss lot let me let me out she panted not unless you pay toll she looked around for some way of escape there was none she stared wildly out through the window and then 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 dupont riding across from the road at a smart canter lie ire waved his hat to her and faced about just as oinna was gliding from the door lie he called in a tone that forced the girl to obey dont be silly oanna you have my word for it i I 1 meant no harm if you run no now nv miss bliss dupont will think we have been doing something wrong 11 oil oh I 1 dont want her to she was good to me dont let her think bad of me implored the girl then go in and get her a cup of tea quick here she comes the girl disappeared as maries pony swung around the corner of the cabin vanderlyn Vand ervyn stooped to fiddle with his stirrup leather he straightened and looked over his donys back |