Connecticut western news., 1906-08-09

' to halt in the darkness, run to the shop for harmless bottle of volatile oils which would smell loud and look well. Then, stopping, he took the slim pastern in his hands The foot was hot and throbbing. Those dcft digits. warned where to seek. cleverly interrogated the hair about the smallest portion of the joint. Ah, it was there! He snapped 1t. The relieved pony put down grate- full nose toward his shoulder. Then with skilled movements Hochaska rub bed and kneaded the member to hasten the impeded circulation. For an hour be worked thus; the dra- matic values must be preserved. Oc- casionally he walked the pony about, and it's owner could see the lameness decreasing At the end of that time he strengthened up and said:
 Burnt Bear your horse is sound. Shall I name my price?"
 The old man grunted, felt the foot, saw that the fever was all out of 1t, then, taking the bridle rein into his hand, led the pony back and forth till he was certain there was no limping in that gait Tt is magic indeedr' he de- clared, with proud generosity, then turned, peered over his shoulder into the darkness of the trail and lifted his hand sharply.
 From where she had stood an hour or more, motionless as the stems of the young birch trees about her, there slipped silently forward and approach ed him slim, light footed Indian girl. Impassively he motioned toward Ho- chaska, and she fled to her lover.
 But following her, so that one might almost have thought 1t her shadow, the | form of man entered the circle of light.
 This is the way you keep your bar gains, you old renegade, Is it?' Mallock snarled, pointing to where the lovers stood hand in hand.
 II make a new bargain" returned Burnt Bear imperturbably. "I make any bargain when my pony go lame." | Mallock's loosely hanging hands clinched themselves into fists. Rage seemed to overpower caution. 'Nine Spot lame? Who lamed him?" Look ing about and receiving no answer, he
 
 tone: "Who lamed Nine Spotw he in- | quired hotly. I'm here to prove that Hochaska slipped In and lamed the beast to get even with you about Ally. and now you give him your daughter to cure 1t. Burnt Bear, you're nine sorts of a fool!'
 It Is not courteous or even safe to tell a Sioux chief that he is as much as one sort of plain, unqualified fool. Burnt Bear started for Mallock, and the Englishman began to explain how he had seen Hochaska tying a horse hair around Nine Spots pastern to pro- duce the lameness.
 Burnt Bear halted uncertainty. It was apparent that he had been tricked by some one, and when he felt sure of the culprit there would be a reckon ing.
 Matters hung thus in the balance for moment. Hochaska frightened his arm about the girl and decided to as sume the responsibility of anything Billy had done but to keep Altamaha now he had her.
 Hold on, holl on, my noble red man. cried cheerful voice, and rid CT galloped up to the smithy.
 Its all right to eat Mallock, Burnt Bear," the cowboy explained as he leaped from saddle, but you want to know just what you're eatin' i'm for
 The Englishman drew back. Don't go," urged Billy, laying a constrain- ing hand upon his arm. "We can't spare you"
 He turned to the three Indians, who stood regarding the white man cu- riously.
 Burnt Bear," he began, you know what I've bet on Nine Spot. I've been watchin' that cayuse most as close as you have. Tonight, before you got around to him, I was up on the knob where he grazes. You thought it was light enough so you could see the hawse from where you was down at the camp-settin' by the door of your wicky up. But there was a great big snake in the grass that. you couldn't see, worming itself along to Nine Spots heels, and I thinks to myself, Does the feller want to have his brains kicked out? Then as I watches i'm he nooses up a long, stout hawse- hair, so fash, and slips it around the pony's hook"
 Let go of me-" growled Malloek under his breath.
 An that there snake in the grass warnt Hochaska," explained Billy genially. He suppressed the further information that there was a rubber band in his own pocket prepared tc do a like service at the time he dis covered Mallock playing the trick ahead of him.
 Heres your pony lamer, Burnt Beai take him." And with a sudden un expected jerk the cowboy flung Nal lock almost into Burnt Bears arms.
 Bless you, my children" he con cluded, turning to Hochaska and the girl. "I'll skip down to Casey's ane take some goo6 bets on the pony. Nal lock has done spread the news tha Nine Spots gone dead lame, and wt stand to make good money if it don get out too soon that Hochaska ha: cured him."