The Tomahawk., 1916-12-28
After the officer left. Dupont souine-

After the officer left, Dupont squine.
ed across the table at her and began
to scratch his head.
"You and Mr.. Van burned lot Of
coal oil last night. he didn't git far
enough along to ask you to hitch up
with him, did he?"
A red blush famed in the girls
cheeks. Without looking up, she MUIR
INJURED regretful "No."
"Guess he figures he'll wait and see
If Hardy is going to bust us up. Like
as not he'll skip back east if Hardy
gifts sore and chokes off our hold on
the NINE"
"What do you mean? He'd send
Reggie away. The stiff, solemn old
fogy-I hate him!"
easy, easy, grill" soothed Dupont.
''No use plunging when you're hitched
to the snubbing post. Just now he's
got us roped. He'll have us all hog
tied if we go to bucking. We've got
to make him think we're gentled."
"What if we act toward him as we
feel?''
"You don't savvy about that mine
Me and Nogen discovered it and paid
honest for developing it, as you know.
Well, we let Mr.. Van in on it. Then
Nogen up and gifts killed. That makes
it half and half between me and Mr..
Van, according to all that's fair and
square. But do you believe Hardy will
look at it that way? Not by a-con-
siderable. He'll talk about it being thQ
tribes, just because it's on the reser
vation."
II see" The girls eyes flashed, and
her nostrils dilated. HE will rob you
and Reggie of q fortune-yet you wish
me to be nice to him!"
"You bet I do! Can't you git the
point? He amt going to be bluffed
into quitting. That means we got to
make friends with him or lose the
mine."
"Oh! So that is it?"
"Yep. Worst of it is he's one Of
them there fellows what stand SO
straight they lean backwards. We
talked to him about how it would help
the tribe if he joined us in opening the
zitine. He was mighty ofilsh. Guess
We'll have to give him Nogen's third to
get him into our camp"
"What shame! The mine Is yours
and Reggie's. He hasn't done a thing
toward developing it,"
II know. But he's the agent. He's
got us roped. He can rob us ox Our
mine If we don't make friends with
him. Now do you savvy?"
The girls thick black eyebrowN met
in frown Of vexation. IF he n q
man whose friendship must be bought,
do not wish to be pleasant to hi'ss'"
ITS business, Marie. There niTT +
no two ways about it. Mr.. Vans hanE-k
ing fire, awaiting to see If we loAa
the mine. If we do, he can't afford to-
marry no poor girl Off reservations
every we'll. I shall make myseH.
agreeable to Captain Hardy. But wait
until am free to pay him out for til"
"Nom dun chien!" muttered Dupont
mt sight Of her Strengthened lips.
'That's the Injun in you. Don't let
him see you look that way till after
We git the mine cinched."
II am not fool, mon PEREZ"
Dupont shook his grizzled head 1u-
biously.
But at midday, when Hardy came
over for the noon dinner, Marie re-
ceived his courteous greeting with
graciousness that soon lightened the
pensive severity Of his look. Before
the end Of the meal they were chatting
in manner that brought twinkle
into DupOnt's cunning eyes.
The girl proposed n ride up the WI.
ley. Hardy was greatly pleased. He
had already grasped the simple details
of the agency business, and now, pend
ing the absence Of Vandervyn and Red4
bear, had nothing to do except instruct
the police in his ideas Of cleanliness
and discipline.
Marie never looked more charming
than when on a horse. She took her
new friend for long ride around one
of the mountains. Every cliff and
rock and piney slope was familiar to
~ TT