Show A modern indian aai e r b d story robert ames bermit capt ployd floyd hardy U S A coming to take charge of the agency at lakotah indian reservation following the murder of agent rescues a quarter breed girl and two men from an indian attack they are reginald vanderlyn Vand ervyn agency clerk and nephew of senator clemmer jacques dupont post trader and his daughter marie hardy learns that vanderlyn Vand ervyn had been promised the agency position discovers that the indians are disaffected because they have been cheated in a tribal mine which Vand ervyn and dupont have been working is puzzled when his friendly speech to tribesmen interpreted by vander cyns tool angers the indians and determines to make further investigation ti new influences arising at this point make his position difficult how his life and honor are endangered through dark plotting Is graphically described in this installment I 1 CHAPTER VIII continued 5 Vand vanderlyn ervyn had arranged to be gone a week there was no cause to discuss the time of his return nud and as marie seldom mentioned him hardy was not often annoyed by the vision of the handsome young fellow interposing between himself and the girl from day to day it could plainly be seen how the rides in talfair tal tain nair air and the delight of the girls companionship were bringing back strength and vigor to the officers trople tropic weakened body soon a healthy red appeared under the tan of his cheeks checks the mid lines of severity and repressed grief began to smooth away on the morning of the seventh day when lie he rode over to join marle marie for a ride out to the butte on wolf river ten years seemed to have dropped from him even when he lifted his hat to the girl and exposed the silvered hair at its his temples lie he looked nearer twenty five than thirty ile he had shaved off ills bristly mu mustache t positively captain she bantered you startle me you are growing so young first thing I 1 know I 1 shall be feeling myself a grandmother in contrast 11 t impossible he gallantly replied you tou are the spirit of youth being with you is what makes me seem so much younger than I 1 am yet I 1 shall never see thirty two again youre barely 0 of f age this morning she said smiling at his shapely clean shaven lip iu in that case you must humor my callowness by pretending you need my aid to mount she put one small booted foot in his hand rose ith the lightness of a feather and perched herself sideways on hermans saddle unused to such strange behavior the pony began to buck hardy sprang to seize the beast by the head marie waved him aside and proceeded to give an impromptu exhibition of her skill as a horsewoman with one knee crooked around the horn of her saddle she kept her difficult seat like a circus rider until the pony subsided youve ridden to hounds stated hardy as the girl swung astride and they started off down donn don n the valley she smiled with gratification reggie never notices such things but you the first time I 1 saw a sidesaddle I 1 thought it it ridiculous on their way down the valley they met no one for the families of the police had moved back to their old camp site opposite the agency marie suggested that they climb the butte bulte with subtle coquetry she gave hardy the privilege of assisting her up the ledges though had she chosen she could have out climbed him they mounted to the top of the highest crag where they sat down on the bare rock to view the plains and mountains through hardys glasses the utter stillness and solitude the immensity of the cloudless blue dome above them the great sweep of the landscape all tended to quiet the excitement of their lively ascent A hush fell upon them marle let the hand that held the glasses sink into her lap she gazed off up tile the river dreamy eyed after a prolonged silence hardy murmured in a halt whisper hov alone we are I 1 the world Is young it Is the beginning of time and in nil all the new young world you and I 1 are alone marie it anns as the first time that lie had ever used her given namo name in speaking to her she started from her daydream the color deepening in her checks clice ks in the some same moment she became aware that she had been looking at a moving object look she said lifting the glasses to her eyes that must be the head and shoulders of a man he Is riding ng along on tho the far side of the ridge an indian ills his head Is muffled in a blanket 11 offlie Mf flie n ie softly repeated hardy the girl sprang to her feet he has disappeared but we are no longer blone alone in tile the world captain hardy let us go down with instant repression of lit his disappointment hardy took the glas glasses ses and offered ills his hand to assist her down the hie first ledge she ignored tile offer nor did she permit him to help her at oil during tile descent her pony leaped leahl d away with the usual jumping start of a bronco the mare clear of the low scrub near ahe le rill edge cige out upon the saidy sandy level of tile the coulee bottom she was in the 1 71 I of break ilig into a trot when hei bet riders hat whirled from his head and lie pitched sideways out of the saddle as it if struck by lightning A moment later the report of the shot reached marie maric she glanced over her shoulder derand and saw hardy outstretched on the ground flaccid and inert with a suddenness ness that almost threw herb her pony off its his nimble feet she wrenched him around the mar mare had stopped within two strides and twisted her bead about to look at her fallen master the manner in which lie he had bad fallen showed that tle the shot had bad come from up the coulee flinging herself from her pony she plucked hardys ardys II rifle out of its sheath and leveled it across the saddle but she could see no sign of the assassin and no second bullet bellef came whirring across the coulee without a second look up the coulee she bent over to rip the hem from her underskirt this gave her a bandage her own and hardys ardys II handkerchiefs served for a compress swiftly she bound the them rii on on the long wound above his temple and stopped the bleeding when of at last he open opened ed his eyes h hs as lead head was in her lap lie he gazed up into her down bent face his mind still in a gaze daze A frown of pain jer creased eased his forehead lie ile murmured in the querulous lous tone of a sick child mother an otherl mother instinctively her ber soft hand band began to smooth away the frown with a gentle caressing touch his eyes closed in restful contentment the girl continued linued to stroke his forehead suddenly his eyelids lifted and he looked up with the clear bright gaze of full consciousness lie ile saw the womanly compassion in her beautiful face iier her eyes were tender and lustrous with sympathy for ahls suffer lag g mart marle e he murmured it is youl you I 1 1 I 1 I thought my mother P hush I 1 she said you have been shot in the head I 1 do not know how serious it is shot in the head ire he lay still considering this ner her look had not altered under er his gaze from her utter lack of self consciousness he divined that she thought him dangerously it if not fatally wounded after a pause he began to speak with tile the calmness that sometimes masks the most profound feeling you scarcely know me but in the circumstances I 1 trust you will pardon tile me for not waiting I 1 love you ou from the first I 1 thought you the most beautiful girl I 1 had ever seen now I 1 l h vow bow aly 10 7 marie Ma he murmured it Is you you to be the most lovely your soul as aa beautiful as your face do not shake your head it is the truth 11 she averted her shame hushed face 1 I I 1 cannot permit you to speak to we me tills this way you are too good and kind hind to refuse to hear me he replied in the same calm calla voice 1 I know about him I 1 know I 1 li have ave no chance dear lie ile la Is young and handsome while I 1 the pale lips curved cured in a quizzical smile the girls bosom beaded tile tears overran her brimming eyes you are are generous 1 I 1 did not think any man mall could be so generous again his lips curved whimsically perhaps I 1 am generous because there Is no other course open I 1 would ask you would urge you to marry me if I 1 thought I 1 had even a fighting chance of winning you marry you you would ask me yet you know knois nhat my luy father Is like and you army people are so proud 1 I an indian quarter breed and my f other father what lie he Is I 1 my mother passed away only wailly a few months ago she was nil 1 I had now I 1 shall always have the thought of your goodness in addition to the dear memory of her the girl turned her face still farther away from him tl ai cannot endure you shall not think of me that way 1 1 I beg your pardon miss dupont he apologized it Is most inconsiderate and ungenerous of mo me to lie ile here hem claiming your sympathy on false pretenses I 1 feel my strength coming back it must be that the bullet merely grazed my head before she could prevent him he twisted about and raised ill himself on ills elbow oh I 1 she remonstrated YOU sou should not move i he forced a laugh between his clenched teeth no its what I 1 thought only a scratch all right now except for a little dizziness I 1 have been imposing on your sour sympathy did you see whore where the shot came from I 1 must go 96 and rout out the rascal the girl grasped his rifle and sprang up away from him you sou shall not go she declared im sure he be ran away the moment you fell felep hardy straightened on his knees and rose unsteadily to his feet ills his voice was as firm as his pose was ivas tottery be so kind as to help me to mount hardy turned his hl mare down the coulee marle marie despite ills protests rode between him and the rid ridge e behind which she ile had bad seen the blanketed man CHAPTER IX the coquette unable to endure the jar of a trot or gallop hardy urged the mare to her fastest walk they had bad gone less than a mile when a horseman came canle loping up uli the slope from sioux creek it is sir mr vanderlyn Vand ervyn said hardy in an even tone yes she replied she handed back the glasses but did not look at him until vanderlyn Vand ervyn rode up tile the young mans face was hushed flushed as it if he had been drinking when he pulled up before them helas seemingly so struck with hardys appearance that he scarcely heeded maries joyful greeting ehnts the matter captain he ex es claimed youre as white as a ghost and your head tied up you must 1 have come a nasty cropper bit ot of an accident not ser serious lous ll 11 replied hardy it could not well have been closer said marie captain hardy has been shot shot cried vanderlyn Vand ervyn the bullet grazed the bone above the temple had it been half an inch lower or farther back it must have killed him 11 half an inch repeated vanderlyn Vand ervyn his face crimsoned crim and the veins of ills forehead began to swell where Is the fellow did he get away how long ago was it loan me the mare hardy ill run him do down wn very good of you to offer said hardy but the rascal might ambush you well order out a squad of police besides I 1 wish your report on your trip I 1 presume Is at the agency no vanderlyn Vand ervyn turned a scowling face towards the butte as if angrily aag eager ger to be off in pursuit of the would be assassin charlie went back to thunderbolts T hunder bolts camp to see if his sister was getting along all right with the C 0 old C chief I 1 f I 1 told him that if he was welcomed he had better stay a few lays days it if he and the girl make themselves agreeable we shall have a better chance to quiet the tribe you found conditions still unfavorable yes all the chiefs took a violent dislike to you r and they had stirred u up P the whole hole tribe charlie and I 1 talked and talked you know a white man mail can talk indians into anything it if ho he keeps at it what result snapped hardy N n shrugged 1 I know we made somo some impression especially on old thunderbolt the chiefs chief no doubt would be willing to let you visit the camps on oil safe conduct so to speak but I 1 doubt it if they could keep the wildest of the young bucks in hand this thi proves it I 1 tell you captain none of us here would think any the lc acs is of you if you cut the whole busl business 1 I shall start for the mountains to niti irrow tomorrow remonstrated marie your wound you must wait at least until it has begun to heal and in the meantime and oinna will b be e talking ti owa konza and lis his camp into a milder mood 11 that last is a most excellent argument said hardy and his firmly compressed lips curved in a 1 smile at the girl 1 I shall take your advice miss dupont vanderlyn Vand ervyn had frowned over the concern in marios mariels voice hardys response started the veins of his forehead swelling lie he looked oft off away from the two and remarked in a 0 casual voice ill ilde in ahead and or dor der out a squad of policemen to track down the scoundrel jake can interpret if im unable to make them understand der stand good said at hardy vanderlyn Vand ervyn shot at marle marie a glance gin nee of jealous anger and put spurs to his pinto but when they reached the valley and saw through the glasses the squad of police only just leaving the agency marle conjectured that tile the jaded pinto had slowed to a walk while going up the valle valley y at last marle marie and hardy reached the agency with the assistance of van delvyn who came out of the dupont house to meet them he was helped down from lila ills mare to a cot in the shady porch here in the open air marie washed the wound and took several stitches to draw the edges together during the operation which hardy endured without a groan vanderlyn Vand ervyn stood by watching marles maries face with sullen jealousy the moment she had re bandaged the wound he suggested that it would be well to leave hardy quiet in reply she asked him to go for ice fee when he returned he found her sitting beside the cot fan in hand hardy had fallen asleep she rose and went into tho the house and vander followed her the young man made no attempt to conceal his anger he closed the par lor door and turned upon her accusingly so that what youve been up to aalthe time ive been away up to what pray coquetting with that old fossil of a tin soldier am I 1 not a dutiful daughter the girl parried mon pere said I 1 must make myself agreeable to the agent 11 he did why not go and ask him it if you doubt what I 1 say 1 I dont just it damn it all aall I 1 the girls eyes flashed with resentment but her voice was sweetly mocking oh mr vanderlyn Vand ervyn how can you captain hardy never swore once during all our delightful rides youve been riding with h him tin every day all except one ive been sorry ever since that I 1 missed that one he was invariably courteous he Is a gentleman you infer that I 1 am not exclaimed vanderlyn Vand ervyn so hes courteous and smooth and slick Is he one might know that youve been raised in the backwoods you forget I 1 spent four years at the capital of canada in a convent I 1 no wonder youve let him play you 1 l the girl met the jeer with a tantalizing smile it has been a most amusing game ile he treats me with as much respect as it if I 1 were a young lady of his own set theres no one else here for him to flirt with that Is an advantage Is it not the girl dropped into her english manner 1 I daresay he will forget me as soon as he gets back to civilization unless I 1 decide to accept his proposal vanderlyn Vand ervyn stared at her cynically you try to rag me marle marie she smiled so you do doubt what I 1 say yet it Is true captain hardy did me the honor of declaring that he wished to marry me hardy asked you he a captain in the regular army and I 1 a quarter breed the daughter of my father amazing Is it not vanderlyn Vand Vaud ervyn caught himself up as he saw the proud humility of her expression it was a new look to him ile he had |