A Tale of Adventures on
An Indian Reservation
CHAPTER XX Continued.
11
Mumbling an apology, Dupont has
tily unfolded the deed, skimmed
through it, and grasped the fact that
It purported to convey to him a full
half-interest in the mine. He had
started to read it over more carefully
when an oath from Vandervyn caused
him to look up.
The younger man pointed along the
coulee bank to where the road topped
the spur ridge of the butte.
"The devil!" he exclaimed "What
brings him back here?"
"Cap! It sure is Cap!" muttered
Dupont. "Nom d'un chien ! You don't
think he's got on to the game, do you?"
"Wouldn't do him any good if he
had."
"Then w hy d'you think he's"
"To enter the contest!" divined
Vandervyn. "There's time enough to
wire Washington and have him put un
der arrest for disobeying orders."
"Hold on !" cautioned Dupont. "What
if he does try his luck? In the moun
tains there ain't no horse nor mare
neither can break up your pinto com
bine." Vandervyn's face cleared. "You
ought to know. IH chance it If "
"Ain't no chance to it," put in Du
pont. "It's a dead cinch."
"He'll think he's going to do me," ex
ulted Vandervyn. "Let him register.
He's come back for the mine first;
then Marie. I don't want her to see
him or to know he has come back.
You have your deed. Suppose you
start at once."
"If she's willing. I'll see," qualified
Dupont. "Look out you don't slip up.
I'll tend to my end. So longgood
luck !"
He rode off down the butte side of
the coulee.
Vandervyn cantered straight across,
and met Hardy a few yards below the
tent of the commissioners.
"Good day, captain," he spoke In
civil greeting. "I am surprised to see
you back here. Have your orders been
countermanded ?"
"No," replied Hardy with equal ci
vility. "I have resigned."
Vandervyn could not conceal his
blank astonishment. "Not not re
signed from the army?"
"Yes. I telegraphed the war depart
ment, received an answer, and mailed
my resignation and application for
leave of absence to my commanding
officer at Vancouver barracks. As an
officer it was not proper forjne to en-
f"Y ....
o a K
1
p-
eortimissloTr
"You need
said Hardy. "I hai
iJ7COIM
mission." v
Again Vandervyn nodded, and there
were no further objections raised.
Hardy and he signed the register, and
made their thumb prints, and were
duly described in writing by the sec
retary: Hardy at once mounted his mare,
nd rode away up the coulee. Ite did
curu
Is
not return until Vandervyn and the
commissioners had left for the agency.
That evening he drew up the legal
notices required In the posting of a
mining claim, and paid three or four
of the older prospectors to check them
for errors. To all who Inquired, he
described . the trail by which he had
gone Into the mountains, and frankly
stated that he knew of none other
that led to the nearest of the four
prominent peaks which had been
named as the corners of the mineral
land boundary.
The rest of the evening and most of
the following day he spent in groom
ing his mare. He gave her no grass
and little water, but a good allowance
of oats. Both morning and afternoon
he took her out for short rides up the
coulee, and each time repeatedly
climbed and descended the bank. He
did not cross over to the reservation
side, much less go to the agency.
The day set for the opening dawned
still and clear, with the promise of
burning heat by noon.
After breakfast the more 'uneasy
spirits began wandering about the
camp or fidgeting with their packs.
Nearly all the older and more experi
enced men gave their ponies a feed of
oats, and stretched out to lounge In
the shade of their tents.
Two hours before the time set for
the start Vandervyn appeared, and
crossed over to the camp. He was
riding his pinto and leading a pack
pony. When the old prospectors saw
his heavy pick and shovel and large,
poorly lashed pack' of food and bed
ding, they cracked many dry jokes on
the grand chances of the tenderfoot.
Their own picks and shovels were as
light as such tools could be made with
out impairing their efficiency, and
their packs were as lean as Vander
vyn's pack was swollen.
Hardy alone divined the deceptive
mockery of his rival's cumbersome dis
play. But he was bound by his word
and could say nothing. It was he, and
not Vandervyn, who was looked upon
with suspicion by the crowd. Soon
there was a gathering of a moblike
group, that rumbled awhile, and ended
by presenting itself before Hardy as
a committee of inquiry.
"You been agent at this here reser
vation," explained their spokesman.
"We want to know if you've got a
frame-up to have some feller meet you
with your pack animals over in the
mountains."
"No," replied Hardy. "There are
four days' rations in my saddlebags.
A poncho is all one needs in sleeping
before a fire this time of year."
"You ain't got no tools," criticized a
man who had been drinking.
"The same is true of several among
you," liaray rejoinea.
One of the cowboys who was includ
ed in this remark called back resonant-
"You've been into the mountains.
et you a blue chip you've got a good
spect spotted, ready for branding."
I am not making any bets," said
y. "You have heard all I know
the trail. Mr. Vandervyn has
1 the trip several times. He was
yne during the one trip I made.
Je no objection to your questoning
bout it."
,re was some muttering over this.
ardy's manner was so cool and
hat the incipient mob left him,
aggled over to where Vander-
id hired an expert to throw the
hd hitch on his ridiculous pack.
turned his back on them, and
grooming the satiny coat of his
lis unconcern was well found-
atever means Vandervyn used,
re sufficient to satisfy the
The muttering soon ceased,
men dispersed.
CHAPTER XXI.
The Race.
commissioners came down
e agency Dareiy in time to
eir Identification of the
,ts. Last of all Hardy
Cndervyn identified them
V hurried over to the end of
Ig line. There was a scant
es re
Vr wi
fnn at
remaining. Vandervyn
1th eager excitement,
o attempt to conceal tne
lied and waved his hand
fssioners, and looked about
ng eyes. There was no
vy or malice in his look.
appeared handsomer or
r commissioners naa
ithe touring car. One of
his watch. Another com-
fose, thrust a small pistol
?ad with a melodramatic
i fired.
nal the line of contestants
na piungeu iorwara into tne
Creara. There were, however,
j enough hasty ones to raise a
nrfTl splashing and turmoil, as, whoop
ing and yelling, they spurred their po
nies through the water and whirled
away at a gallop. Some wheeled up
the coulee ; a few rode straight across
at the steep bank. Vandervyn, wild
est and noisiest of all, headed down
stream for the road, spurring hi3
pinto. 113 was followed by a large
sunch.
V
1
it
Robert Ames
Hardy started after these last, hold
ing his mare to her usual steady trot
When he came up the road to the head
of the gulley, those who had gone be
fore him were all quite distance
ahead, with -Vandervyn still in the
lead. Midway between the mouth of
the valley and the agency, the long
striding mare began to pass ponies
whose riders had thought better of
their whirlwind start. Others were
still loping in swift pursuit of Vander
vyn. Hardy walked the mare up the slope
of the agency terrace. He saw noth
ing of Dupont or Marie, and the In
dians had moved away with their te
pees. But In the rear of the ware
house he caught a glimpse of two In
dian policemen removing the load from
Vandervyn's pack pony. His face
clouded. He put the mare into a gal
lop. All the way to the head of the val
ley Hardy held to a steady gallop. One
after another, he passed the remaining
leaders. The best of the ponies were
no match in speed with the big thor
oughbred. At last only Vandervyn was ahead.
As Hardy overhauled and forged past
Vandervyn, the young fellow turned
and met his gaze with a look of mock
ing hate. Harv glanced back sev
eral times, prepared to fling himself
flat alongside the pommel of his sad
dle. His uneasiness did not lessen
when a few minutes later Vandervyn
halted, and scrambled down from the
trail to get a drink out of the creek.
The crease in Hardy's forehead deep
ened. Ahead, the walls of the canyon were
sloping back into the widened valley
where had been the first Indian camp.
Dogs, Indians and tepees, all were
gone. Only a brush-walled dance
lodge remained to mark the camp site.
As the mare pounded past, she curved
her outstretched neck toward the
lodge and whinnied. Hardy heard no
answer to the call, but his frown sud
denly deepened.
He reached forward and stroked
the mare's sleek neck. Hot as had
been the race from the agency, she
had not turned a hair. His frown re
laxed. Yet his tight lips showed that
he was still uneasy. He balanced him
self In his stirrups, and began to ride
as lightly as possible.
Ascending the mountainside, he was
compelled to content himself with the
mare's nervous, long-strided walk.
But whenever the trail was not too
steep or rough, he put her into a trot,
and varied the pace with an occasional
short gallop.
An hour passed. He was already
well Into the mountains. He came to
a succession of steep climbs and de
scents that held the mare down to a
walk. Presently he thought he head
hoofbeats behind him. He listentsJ.
He had not been mistaken. An tin
shod horse was coming up with him at
a steady jog trot
It seemed impossible that Vander
vyn's pinto could have so recuperated
from that whirlwind heading of the
rush as to be able to take this steep
trail at a trot Hardy gazed back, ex
pecting to see one of the cowboys. As
he went down over a ridge crest, the
rider came up the ridge back across
the intervening gulch. The man
snatched off his broad-brimmed hat to
wave a salute. The sun glinted with a
golden sheen on the unmistakable
blond head of Vandervyn.
At the first small break in the de
scent Hardy dismounted, unsaddled,
and sponged out the mare's mouth and
nostrils with water from his canteen.
He then shook out and refolded his
Navajo saddle blanket, and started to
resaddle. But before he buckled the
cinch-strap he shifted the pistol from
his breast to a front pocket in his rid
ing breeches.
He was vigorously grooming the
mare when Vandervyn came jogging
down through the thickets of tall brush
that grew close on each side of the
trail. He did not pause in his rub
bing until the nimble-footed unshod
pony ambled into view, less than a
dozen yards up the trail. Then he
glanced about, straightened, and stood
staring. The pony was a pinto.
Vandervyn, smiling with insolent ex
ultance, rode down to him, his right
hand jauntily poised on his hip, over
the hilt of his revolver. His eyes
challenged his rival with an nudacious,
provoking stare. But Hardy looked
only at the pinto. There was no sign
of sweat lather on his roujrh coat, no
weariness In his gait. He vas fresh
"Lots of come-back to a bronco,
captain," purred Vundervjn. "Sorry
to see that you've stove up your mare.
She's too highbred for a rocky road
like this. But you might take off her
shoes and travel light, the way I've
done."
The pony was now ambling down
the slope past the mare. Hardy looked
at the unshod hoofs. They were cov
ered with a coating of clay mire from
the bottom of the last gulch, and the
beast's shuffling pace did not expose
the under surface of the hoofs. Wheth
er the pony had or had not been re
cently unshod could not be seen.
"Groat horse, my little old pinto.
Bennet
eh?" mocked Vandervyn. "By-by! I'll
tell Marie you'll be along later."
Hardy perceived in a flash why he
had seen neither the girl nor her fa
ther at the agency. Swiftly he wheeled
about to mount. Startled by the quick
action, Vandervyn spurred his pony,
and went down the steep descent at a
gait far from easy on even a mountain-bred
horse's knees. Hardy fol
lowed at a walk. The opposite rise
was gradual. He let the mare take It
at a slow trot. At the top was a fair
ly level stretch of trail. Vandervyn
was far ahead. Hardy put the mare
Into a fast gallop. A few minutes
brought her up so close behind the lop
ing pinto that Vandervyn spurred his
beast to sprinting speed. Hardy fol
lowed at an easier yet swift pace that
again brought him near, as the pinto
slackened to a lope.
A steep ridge made a break in the
game. The pinto crossed it at a jog
trot The mare had to walk. Beyond
was a long stretch of broken country
that favored the pinto. He could jog
over ground that held the mare to a
walk, and canter where she could no
more than trot. On such a trail he
was fully equal to traveling at these
paces for twelve hours at a stretch, all
the time in the lead of the mare. Of
this Hardy was as well aware as was
Vandervyn.
Though he steadily lost ground, he
kept on in pursuit, coolly studying the
landmarks ahead and "lifting" his
mare along over the heartbreaking
trail. To have given way to the
Impatience that betrayed Itself In his
flashing eyes would Inevitably have
lost him the race by overstraining the
mare. He held himself grimly in hand,
and eased the going for his eager
mount with consummate horseman
ship. When they reached better ground,
Vandervyn was again far ahead. But
Hardy had his reward for his restraint
in the resilient stride of the mare as
she swung into a full gallop. Up and
down the long, easy slopes, around a
curving mountainside, and along the
level bench of a stream bank, she held
to the cross-country racing pace that
rapidly rolled up mile after mile of
the trail.
In less than half an hour she
brought her rider around a sharp
bend only a few hundred yards behind
the pinto. Vandervyn, over-confident,
was jogging along the level when the
sound of the approaching hoofbeats
threw him into a half-panic. Ther
was still a long stretch of easy trail
ahead. He put his pony into a gallop.
The long-legged thoroughbred, still
running as smoothly as clockwork,
continued to gain. Vandervyn began
to swing his spurs.
The pinto started to pull ahead.
Hardy held the mare to the same
speed as before. It was a speed that
he knew she could maintain for miles.
He could see that the pinto was being
forced to a killing pace a pace that
must strain if not break him before
they came to the next rough ground.
On up the valley rushed the pursued,
now barely holding his own. The cruel
spurring and whip-slashing could not
sting the failing beast to greater ex
ertions. He was blowing hard; his
rough coat was lathered with sweat
He began to lose.
At last the trail made a sharp turn,
and started to zigzag up the mountain
side. The pinto was staggering when
he reached the foot of the ascent. The
quicker and longer stride of the mare
soon brought them up at Vandervyn's
heels. The pitch of the mountain was
too precipitous for Hardy to risk
passing on the lower side of the nar
row trail with the mare, and Van
dervyn kept the pinto close to the
upper side.
. "You have no right to block the
trail," said Hardy. "Allow me to
pass."
Vandervyn looked over his shoulder
with an insolent sneer. "Go on and
pass, if you're in a hurry. You've
got all outdoors to do It in. If there's
not room enough, shoot me in the back
and take the trail. I'll not get out
of it for you."
Hardy did not reply nor did he at
tempt to force a passage. At last,
twelve miles from the goal of the
heartbreaking race, came the opportu
nity for which he had been waiting.
The trail smoothed out in another
easy stretch. For this he had been
holding the mare In hand. ( He started
at a canter, and gradually let her
strike into her long, swift gallop. Van
dervyn saw them coming, and at once
put spurs to his luckless pony. As
before, Hardy held the mare down to
her best long-distance speed. The
mare came up alongside the pinto and
forged ahead.
Hardy eyed Vandervyn with utmost
wariness. And, as before, at the head
of the canyon of Sioux creek, Vander
vyn turned In the saddle, and looked
full at hlra with a hateful, mocking
smile. He pulled In his staggering
pony to a walk the moment Hardy
swung Into the trail ahead,
i At once Hardy eased down the mare
to a trot. Though he saw no third
pinto wailing in the thickets, his eyes
grew hard and cold with grim deter-
.Di".of,on TIe v "xuminlng his r"
whea tu:u of tne tul sur.den.y guve
him his frst view of the bvoken-topped
mountain and the ridge-slde where
lledbear had made the second attempt
to assassinate him. As he looked at
the shattered summit, his hazel eyes
fashed. He thrust the rifle back into
its sheath, and drew the mare down
to a walk.
Behind him he heard a muffled drum
ming of unshod hoofs. Vandervyn was
coming up at a gallop.
When the mocking trickster came
up behind Hardy, he reined in to a
jog trot, and, 8 before, rode past him
with his hand or his hip.
There were marked differences be
tween the third pinto and the two first.
He was taller and leaser. and one of
his feet was white. Bw, Hardy ap
peared to be too dejected to heed the
fact As the pinto ambled awa in
the lead, Vandervyn smiled, anj
looked back at his rival with all the
hate gone from his face. "By-by again,
old man," he bantered. "Sorry I can't
stay to keep you company. The lady
is waiting and the mine. It may also
please you to hear that I have a duly
signed and witnessed contract with
the tribe, giving me a fee of 20 per
cent on all moneys appropriated in
payment to the tribe for their min
eral lands. Let's hear you congratu
late me. Show you're game!"
But Hardy did not raise his eyes.
As soon as Vandervyn was out of
sight around the castellated rocks at
the top of the ridge, Hardy stopped
the mare and dropped from the saddle.
His shapely mouth was curved in a
resolute smile, and his hand was rap
Idly transferring from the saddlebags
to his pockets a pocket ax, a handful
of pistol cartridges and the legal no
tices for posting a mining claim.
He glanced up the slope, and, seeing
no sign of Vanaervyn, stripped off the
mare's bridle, sponged out her nostrils
and mouth with the last water In his
canteen.
Hardy took the steep slope at an un
hurried pace. He reached the place
where he had found the bloody trail
of Redbear. Up the cleft the climbing
was not stiff. He came out on the
valley slope, extremely hot and dry
but not out of breath. Drawing an
airline across to the opposite moun
tainside, where he had seen the light
of Ti-owa-konza's campfire through the
darkness, he started down into the
valley at a jog as brisk as that of the
third pinto. He was almost spent as
he tottered through the pines up the
last slope. The camp was gone, but
he knew the nearest way to the spring.
He rested two or three minutes, re
peatedly cooling his head in the spring
and rinsing out his mouth, but drink
ing only a very few sips. Again re
freshed, he half filled his canteen, and
started on up the easy mountain slope
at a steady jog.
Ten minutes brought him over the
summit to the sharp pitch above the
mine. He stared down at the terrace
several moments, however, before he
made out the figures of a man and
woman waiting at the first turn of
the trail. There could be no doubt
that the two were Marie and her fa
ther. It was no less certain that Vander
vyn had not yet arrived. Even had he
suspected his opponent's stratagem, he
scarcely could have covered the seven
miles of trail in as short a time as
Hardy had taken to make the three
miles across country.
The two watchers never thought to
look about and up the mountain. They
had not yet looked about when he
came down upon the crest of the spur.
A large, newly cut stake gave him a
hint where one of the upper corners
of the claim should be located. He
cut his own stake, drove it, and tacked
on one of his legal notices. Another
stake indicated the other upper corner,
and he swiftly repeated the making
of his own stake and posting of the
notice.
At the curb of the mine" shaft he
posted another notice. He was now In
plain view from the cabin, but out of
sight of the watchers down on the
trail. On the terrace, as he was work
ing the third stake into a bed of loose
rocks, he heard an angry exclamation
over near the cabin. Dcpont and Ma
rie had come around the end of the
building, and were staring at him. In
a frenzy of disappointed avarice, the
trader reached for his revolver. Still
more swiftly Marie flung herself upon
him.
"No! no! you shall not!" she cried.
"Leave It to him he is so near I Let
them play out the game!"
Hardy ran across to cut his last
stake. Between the ax-blows could be
heard the hoofbeats of a galloping
horse. He tacked the notice on,
chopped a small hole with his ax in
the hard soil, and set it up. The mine
was his own.
CHAPTER XXII.
The Owner of the Mine.
At that moment Vandervyn loped up
over the edge of the terrace, waving
his hat to Marie. Then he caught sight
of Hardy, over beyond the girl, and
the exultant yell died on his lips. He
put the curb on his pony, and sprang
off beside Dupont and the girl, his face
frightful with rage.
His voice was high-pitched and light,
almost airy : "So he cut across afoot !
He thought to do me !"
"Has, you mean !" snarled Dupont.
"Got his notices posted. That's his
last stake."
Vandervyn whirled and snatched his
rifle from Its saddle sheath. Marie
caught her father's arm to drag hira
aside; but he was already backing
away, his eyes fixed apprehensively
on Hardy. It was time for bullets to
come streaming from the automatic
pistol." Hardy could have drawn and
opened fire while Vandervyn was free
'nr his r'.fl.
To the astonishment ot all three,
Hardy made no attempt to "get the
drop" on his opponent Instead, he
started to advance upon Vandervyn
at a quick, deliberate pace, his hands
hanging empty at his sides, his face
calm and stern.
"Put down that gun!" he command
ed. Vandervyn was leveling the rifle, ne
took aim straight between Hardy's
eyes. His finger kissed the trigger.
The slightest twitch would have sent
the bullet crashing through Hardy's
brain, and the slightest sign of fear
or hesitancy on Hardy's part would
have caused that twitch. He was
looking death in the face. Vandervyn
was in a murderous fury.
Yet Hardy came on quick, steady,
absolutely calm. His gaze passed
above the deadly muzzle, along the
foreshortened barrel, to the narrow
lidded, bloodshot eyes of Vandervyn.
Ills voice rang out again, clear and
sharp with authority:
"Put down that rifle put it down,
sir I"
The muscles of Vandervyn's neck
twitched. Along the top of the barrel
he was glaring back at Hardy glar
ing Into those hazel eyes that met
his fury with the clear, cool gaze of
The Trader Reached for His Revolver.
absolute courage. The sheer nerve
of that steady approach to his rifle
muzzle compelled him to pause. It
disconcerted him; it struck a chill
Into the heat of his frenzy.
Still Hardy advanced, swift and
steady, his gaze never so much as
flickering. Now his eyes and forehead,
close beyond the foresight of the rifle,
appeared enormously enlarged to Van
dervyn's distorted vision. Steadily
Hardy put up his hand, took hold of
the rifle barrel, and turned the muzzle
aside.
"Ah-h-h !" gasped Marie.
Hardy drew the rifle out of Vander
vyn's relaxing grasp.
"Stand aside, sir!" he quietly com
manded. "I wish to speak alone with
Miss Dupont."
Vandervyn had parted with his rifle
as If dazed. At the sound of Hardy's
voice a fresh wave of crimson flooded
his face. He stepped back, and jerked
out his revolver. Hardy leaped upon
him like a panther, and struck the
weapon aside. The heavy bullet
whizzed past Hardy's head. A moment
later, Vandervyn, though the younger
and perhaps the stronger of the two,
reeled away, clutching his lacerated
trigger finger. Hardy stood with the
revolver In his hand. He turned to
Marie.
"May I ask for few words alone
with you?"
"No!" Vandervyn hoarsely forbade
the girl. "You shall not speak with
him. Jake, you're her father tell her
she shall not."
"You know she don't never mind
what I say," mumbled Dupont. "Any
way, It sort of looks like Cap Is run
ning this here shindy."
Hardy had not glanced away from
Marie. Throughout that supreme test
of the will power and courage of her
two lovers, she had stood tense and
silent, as if spellbound. She now
looked from one to the other, her face
Inscrutably calm, her black eyes fath
omless. "I will hear what Captain Hardy has
to say," she said.
Hardy motioned her father and Van
dervyn toward the mine dump. They
obeyed. ,
"We are alone," said Marie.
Hardy smiled. "I won the race."
"Was It fair, cutting across cour
try?" "Fair? Then you did not know otf
his scheme."
"What scheme? I do not under
stand." "It does not now matter. I won tb
race and the mine."
"Do you expect me to rejoice with
you?" asked the girl. "It has cost
my father his half of the mine."
"How so? He Is not an entryman."
"Iteggie gave him a deed to a half
interest." "I see," said nardy. "Quite In keep
ing. The deed Is absolutely void, and
would have been no less so even had
the grantor been first to reach here."
"You doubt his good faith!" Tfcff
girl glanced past him toward the sk
leo figure of Vandervyn on the mine
dump with her father. "So you thought
It better to take it all yourself thaa
to let him take it all?"
"Yes," agreed Hardy.
The girl's red lips curved In an lro
lcal smile.
"I do not go with the mine neces
sarily." "No. But the mine necessarily gam
with you now," replied Hardy.
(TO BE OCiA.TrNirw.SX