Show E el the reed an indian reservation tale by ROBERT AMES BENNET el of f quarter breed girl and two men from an indian 0 the three preceding installments described the rescue 0 a hardy U 8 A the new indian agent the ployd floyd reservation by capt attack at the edge of lakotah indian of united states senator clemmer and agency clerk jacques rescued ones are reginald vanderlyn Vand ervyn neph nephew ew the indians of the trader and his daughter marle marie vanderlyn Vand ervyn tells hardy of disaffection among dupont post murder of the last agent and of als ahls having been promised the agency hardy calls call 8 a council of head to the valley the new agent his sister oinna brings pretty iri tribesmen besmen the halfbreed interpreter to suspect dupont and vand vanderlyn ervyn of crookedness learns that the indians have been cheated and has reason to matters with the tribesmen how captain hardy Is thwarted in his purpose how his life 0 he plans square is endangered how vanderlyn Vand ervyn shows his true character Is told in very absorbing style in this installment CHAPTER VI continued 4 unseen by his bis superior vanderlyn Vand ervyn nodded encouragingly to and smiled at the indians hardy ha had d not tamed his bis steady gaze from tl ti owa konza the chief Is not cot angry he said we shall soon be friends tell him that I 1 come in peace with a good heart toward all the tribe I 1 do not blame the killing of mr on the tribe if white men have done any wrong to the tribe I 1 shall stop the wrongdoing if there are any members of the tribe who are doing wrong the chiefs should help me make all do right this time ilme did not hesitate he faced the assembly and rolled out a flood of lakotah with desperate rapidity almost immediately tl 71 owa konza rose to reply his face ablaze with indignation his voice impassioned when he be had bad spoken be remained standing he says he Is angry began I 1 N no L 0 brusquely contradicted har hardy dy look at Us his face the others are angered he is not there Is some misunderstanding be careful that you interpret correctly ile he says he be Is angry insisted his sidelong glance looking past hardy tol vanderlyn Vand ervyn who was nodding reassuringly ire he says he is trying to keep beep it inside but the others cant hold it inside he says you have got to go liay away oi or there will be fighting hardy straight straightened enid on his chair and his look became severe ile he spoke sharply tell the chief it is useless to ask me to go away I 1 do not wish to send for the L but bat they will come and fight the tribe it if there Is any uprising Red bears interpretation was followed by a hush more threatening than gestures or outcries vanderlyn Vand ervyn hastily ly beckoned to the policemen they came along under the overhang of the warehouse until they were behind the valte men hardy heard the soft cuffle of their moccas ined feet in the dust he looked around and frowned how Is this he be demanded 1 I i particular parti particularly cula aly wished no demonstration of force said hardy well since the police are here you better let them stay 7 1 it will rill be close enough work it if matters come to a scrap and theres marle marie out to see the fun hardy turned around to look at the daring alil she stood on a slight knoll midway between the assembled indians and her fathers cabin take her back to the house bouse he ordered but would it be wise for me to leave you and charlie just now the police may 1 1 ay not stay loyal if P go goi I 1 the command was peremptory van delvyn started off yet contrived to ex 14 A tl owa konza rose to reply his face ablaze with indignation change glances with hardy studied the semicircle of waiting indians with a resolute gaze and as before fixed dixe d his attention upon tl TI owa konza we must learn what Is the cause of this III feeling he remarked to the halfbreed ask them why they are opposed to their young men trading ore tor for duponts goods spoke slowly to the indians his manner not unlike that of a man who approaches a barrel of gunpowder with a lighted torch there was no explosion but the old head chief flared with unmistakable anger ile he with a fiery declamation that brunts arants of approval from hs his fellows the half breeds voice was as he interpreted lie ile he says there shall be no more barter of ore ile ho says all over again that this is the land of his tribe and white men have no right here and he hates bates all long knives tell him that lie he Is mistaken the soldiers have always been the best friends of the indians I 1 find that after next nest spring no more food and goods are to be issued to the tribe sooner orlaver or later white men will come and take the ore it if the Indians do not dig die it themselves another thing I 1 believe the tribe should agree to the dividing up of their land so that each head of a family can cati have his own farm and work it after the manner of the white men other tr tribes ibes have done this and they are arc no longer poor hesitated stepped more aside from hardy and began to pour out a torrent of lakotah he had bad spoken only a few sentences when a wave of agitation passed over the semicircle of indians blankets slipped down from copper red shoulders fierce eyes glared menacingly at hardy several of the more excitable bucks leaped up with bow and rifle in hand hardy thrust out from among the police and raised his hands to tl TI owa konza in the peace peace sign tho the hed head chief called to his fellows and turned his back upon the agent with deliberate contempt all the others faced about and followed him to the waiting ponies onies the band mounted and rode off S up the valley in morose silence CHAPTER vil VII the common law there was still more than a trace ot of red in hardys sallow cheeks when marie vanderlyn Vand ervyn and dupont came in upon him at the office dupont held out a congratulatory hand by gar cap he said you yon sure had a mighty close squeak of it that time guess old TI got all ail fired hot wheres charlie Ked bear I 1 sent him to reassure ills his sister and the families of the police that was very thoughtful ot of you captain capt aln said marle but it would be far more considerate it if you would leave the reservation added vanderlyn Vand ervyn now how so queried hardy of course fancy I 1 am thinking of my promotion but its not that at all ask jake 1 I got it from the aleece ce said dupont the whole bunch was crazy to shoot you done it too only charlie sings out to em that mr van was going to be agent and go away ile he said that oh captain dont be angry at charlie lie interceded intercedes Inter ceded marle marie he had bad to do it to save a fight but why I 1 could not have been more friendly yet everything I 1 said seemed to anger them 1 I told you a orner ornery bunch replied dupont it was for because you being an officer the chiefs hate all soldiers like alzen most of the old ones was in the ghost dance craze and got jailed by the soldiers they may cool down and be willing to listen to reason argued hardy cool down go back and sit and stew and stew till hell bolls boils over next thing happens stir up the young bucks nom du dun chien 1 just when I 1 was bitting gitting enough ahead in my business bus iness to take care of my old age and give marle marie a chance to bo be a lady to stand to lose everything and her and my ay scalp to boot I 1 you are free to leave here with her whenever you wish no I 1 aint I 1 cant leave my store all my property there would be no danger it if it were not for you said marle marie her eyes flashing with indignation it if only you had bad not come here I 1 it if there is an outbreak it will be all your fault I 1 mine oh P I 1 know you mean well but it if taken this violent dislike to you why ever did you come you saw how they like mr van had they thought you would insist on staying nothing could have kept them from attacking you but the promise that mr van Is to be their agent that floii them had you never come here all this would not have happened the chiefs would have come to talk with mr air van iran and would have gone back satisfied hardy swung around in his chair to scrutinize the guileless face of van delvyn what do you say to that sir he interrogated i what can I 1 say replied vander twisting the tip of his blond mustache it Is tor for you yon to decide to leave for the good of 0 the tribe or to stay and take the chance of an uprising the way you put tt it considered hardy perhaps it might be better tor for all concerned it if I 1 should leave you bet it would cap eagerly broke in dupont taint Tal nt no joke them ornery c cusses 11 git you like they done with just as sure as shooting vanderlyn Vand ervyn shot a furious glance at the blunderer marle marie was looking at hardy but she did not need to see the tightening of his bis lips to realize what her father had done oh ob perel pere I 1 she reproached why did you say it you should have known captain hardy could hot leave after that quite right miss dupont duped said gald hardy you mean you wont leave asked dupont now how can he vanderlyn Vand ervyn smoothly cut in youve put it up to him that it would be deserting his post under fire hes an army officer he leave now even if 1 he knew his staying here meant certain massacre tor for us all followed by certain massacre of the tribe by the troops 1 I will remain until I 1 have made at least one more effort to pacify the tribe replied hardy you are at liberty to resign whenever you please sir mr dupont has ample time to remove his goods and his daughter from the reservation not me declared marle 1 I dont care what pere and reggie say I 1 know there Is not one of the tribe who would harm me even in an outbreak well debbe note not admitted her father 1 I gather gaiber that I 1 am the only person who seems to be endangered remarked hardy this being so I 1 will wait waft a few days for the excitement to subside and will then call another council they wont come agan to meet you predicted dupont then I 1 shall go to them into the mountains captain exclaimed marle marie her splendid eyes widening with concern surely you will not venture among the camps the tribe must learn that I 1 mean friendship dupont paused to scratch the side of his head but vanderlyn Vand ervyn spoke without an instants hesitancy you have no right to throw your life away uselessly captain suppose charlie and I 1 make a trip to the camps to see if 1 we cannot quiet the tribe and talk the chiefs into giving you another hearing 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 barill be next agent added dupont will you tell them that I 1 am here to help them and to be their friend queried hardy trust me to put it to them strong captain assured vanderlyn Vand ervyn 1 I know play fair by resigning in my favor as soon as you have the tribe in hand after I 1 have done what I 1 can do to improve conditions among them qualified hardy 1 I do so hope mr van can persuade them to be Irl friendly endly with you said marle marie 1 I know he and charlie will be perfectly safe but it will be hard to talk them out of their strange dislike to you when will you start reg keg gle early tomorrow morning it if the captain has no objections the sooner the better agreed hardy ill go and remove my council costume said vanderlyn Vand ervyn smiling at his irreproachable frock coat marle marie and her father rose with him hardy bowed out the girl and returned to his desk he was deep in the midst of a report on the tribe when halt an hour later vanderlyn Vand ervyn returned to the office in his riding togs charlie may not come back this afternoon he remarked 1 I thought I 1 might ride down and tell him about the trip I 1 could fetch your maire for you very well I 1 shall lie be obil obliged ged replied hardy and he returned to his bis study of the report yu yEL rode down along the far side of the stream keeping the thickets as much as possible between himself and the dupont house ile he did not the creek until he was opposite Red bears home he found the cabin door closed but at a slight movement of the window curtains ills bis hand went up to beckon with a lordly gesture gestur 6 there was a short pause then the door opened a scant inch Hel hello lol 1 he said wheres Wh cres your brother he has has gone to tell the police families on the file agents mare t guessed van delvyn please lie he mean any harm please dont tell on him that depends replied vanderlyn Vand ervyn do you think I 1 care to favor him when ien you act as it you hate me hate no no I 1 the door opened several se veral inches and as suddenly closed to a narrow crack but Vander vanderlyn Vand ervyn vya had caught a glimpse of the girls blushing face his voice dropped to a caressing tone youre not afraid of me are you just because I 1 wanted a kiss come out here and talk I 1 wont bite you you ton promise not to to kiss met me not unless you wish me to iba but but I 1 do came back the naive confession I impulsively he be started to swing off his pony the cabin door shut with a bang he straightened in the saddle waited a long moment frowned heavily and started to ride away from the window came a plaintive cry oh please please pl easel 1 ile he deliberately dismounted flung th the e reins over his horses head and walked to the opened window the eager frightened face within blushed scarlet and shrank back he stopped short see here he admonished it if youre going to be silly I 1 shall go away for v 1 IN A dai na it will be hard to talk them out of their strange dislike for you good youve got the door barred barre dand and you know I 1 shall not try to crawl in at a hole like this il 1 I I 1 wont be she faltered better he be said and he reached in to slip his bis arm am around her trembling shoulders shrinking yet yielding with eyes timidly downcast and olive oliv e cheeks burning with blissful shame the young girl allowed him to draw her closer her lips quivered yet she raised them to meet his kiss there I 1 he rallied 4 was it so dreadful dreada ua she did not answer she could not her head bead drooped forward with the instinctive modesty of an innocent young girl he put the forefinger of his free band under her chin and raised her head to take a second kiss one good turn deserves another sweetheart he said you sou should not not call me that she whispered you are a gentleman white man I 1 am only a halfbreed halt breed im yellow as a chinaman no golden you are my golden girl your cheeks are wild roses and honey gold your eyes are like a fawns your lips sweet as honey another kiss there more like it youre learning bow now look at me she raised her drooping lids with the sudden desperate courage of one who Is very shy and gazed up at him her tender eyes ke with the soft glow of her love and adoration you you really like me she whispered no I 1 hate you like poor lo 10 hates firewater give him a taste and he wants it all I 1 want you Ch charlie arlle he be said I 1 must marry a white man I 1 am joyed jo ted in my heart you say you want me I 1 but I 1 am only a halfbreed girl and you youre my honey sweet girlie go and open the door she looked up at him again full and direct and his gaze sank before the trust in her clear eyes you want we me to be your engaged girl she murmured when people are engaged they are going to be married charlie said I 1 must marry a white man a good white man you are kind to me inc it Is wonderful I 1 have read that even army officers have married halfbreed girls but you are grander than any officer and you are very good to think of marrying me vanderlyn Vand ervyn forced a smile and replied to her adulation without meeting her enraptured gaze what else did you think I 1 meant when I 1 kissed you of course we shall be married As we are here on the reservation it will be according to the custom of the |