The Tomahawk., 1916-12-14


troubling to close either the door or
the one small window.
The next morning Hardy and Van
dervyn were seated in the agency Of
flee when Redbear came in and started
to shuttle around to his desk, on the
other side of the office partition.
"Wait!" said Hardy. II wish the
chiefs and headmen of the tribe sum-
moned to meet me in council as soon
as possible"
ut is a days ride to the camps
farthest back in the mountains" re.
marked Vandervyn.
Hardy considered, and looked up ut
Redbear.
"Does not this tribe use smoke Sig
nals?"
mot for a long time, not since wes
boy, sir. I never learned how to 10
it."
''That old sergeant Of police will
know" predicted Hardy. "Come!"
Vandervyn fingered behind the 9TH
ers, and followed them only to the
rear corner of the warehouse. When
he had seen them ride off across Sioux
creek towards the highest of the noun
tains that encircled the valley, he went
back into the Office, opened the safe,
and carefully sorted over it's con-
tents. All letters addressed to the late
agent and to himself he took out and
locked in his desk.
Meantime Hardy and Redbear with
the police sergeant passed through the
camp of the families Of the police,
where they added two old bucks to
their party. A pony trail led up through
the pines on the mountainside to the
bare granite crag Of the summit. Mid
afternoon found the Indians standing
around a greenwood fire, alternately
covering it with a blanket and permit
ting puffs of the dense smoke to rise
in the still air.
In less than half an hour Hardy's
glasses showed him an answering
smoke on a peak fifteen or twenty
miles distant. When he called attention
W IAC pOl4SC OVl6CAAI pOAAIOu ouI
still another smoke signal off to the
left of the first and several miles far
Their away. The old bucks turned from
the fire and started down to where the
mare and ponies had been left.
"The chiefs will come tomorrow"
Redbear interpreted their answer to
Hardy's inquiry.
The jaded blackboard ponies were
Juggling their load up the slope Of the
terrace when Hardy came down the
line Of agency buildings at gallop.
Marie Dupont was driving; but on the
seat beside her was a brown-eyed,
olive-skinned girl, who averted her
handsome face with childish shyness
rs Hardy wheeled his mare and refined
up alongside.
Marie flushed under the officers d.
rect gaze, though, unlike her compan-
ion, she did not seek to avoid 1t. He
raised his hat with punctilious polite
ness. She bowed, and, gazing back ut
him with a level glance, quietly re-
marked: "Good afternoon, Captain
Hardy. have brought your luggage"
"That was very kind Of you," said
Hardy as he glanced at the other girl.
Marie smiled in instant appreciation
of the fact that he had spoken to her
as to an equal. She patted her COM
panion's work-reddened hand with her
gloved fingers. '"This is Charlie Red
bears sister Oinna. They did not treat
her well at school, so she ran away to
come home. I want her to live with
me but she says she must be with her
brother. You will not send her back?'
The young girl looked at the new
agent with smile Of timid appeal, and
as quickly dropped her head in bashful
embarrassment. Hardy's gaze soft
cned, and he answered reassuringly:
"Redbear spoke Of his sister. 1t will
be all right"
"You are most kind to Say It," mp
proved Marie with the cOndescension
Of gracious young queen. "Captain
Hardy, we shall expect you to dine
with us this evening. shall send over
your luggage in few minutes. You
need not dress for dinner"