Williams news., 1916-12-28

Vandervyn of the vandervyns of Stat en Island. Senator Clemmer Is my uncle."
 The captain responded to the intro duction with curt bow.
 'See anything of the p1eece, Cap?" asked Dupont.
 "Yes. They should be here in few minutes"
 q see them," said the girl. They're coming down the slope this side of the Sioux Creek divide"
 They're slow," growled Vandervyn. 'pll ride back and head them cross country. They have good horses. They shall run out every buck in the bunch." He spun his pony about to sprint down the road into the coulee. Hardy uttered a stern order: "Haltv'
 fingered at the command and still more at the impulse that compelled him to obey it, Vandervyn twisted about in his saddle to face the officer with a challenging stare.
 Keep that talk for your interiors;" he said. q am acting agent of this reservation. What I say goes. I'll have those bucks trailed till every one of them is in the guardhouse or feeding the crows"
 You are mistaken, MT. Vandervyn," replied Hardy, and he drew an official envelope from an inside pocket. You are only the chief clerk on this reser- vation. I have been detailed to serve as acting agent"
 "You?" cried Vandervyn. "Why, it was all fixed for me to be appointed agent. My uncle wired me that my tfon without hitch. So you pulled the wires to cut me out?"
 "I pulled no wires, MT. Vandervyn," Hardy coldly met the accusation. "On my return from the islands, last month, l asked for detail to active service in the open, preferably here in the northwest, on account of my health"
 Do you mean to say you did not ask for this place in particular?''
 "No. The detail was given me be- cause of the killing of the late agent and the reported restlessness of the tribe."
 You'll find these ugly bucks differ ent from Moros."'
 Perhaps" said Hardy. He looked at the two big, lumpy sacks that were lashed on the blackboard. "You had started for the railroad?"
 "Pere and Mir. Van wished to ship out the ore," explained the girl.
 "Ore?" inquired Hardy.
 "Well, yes, it's sort of ore," ad- mitted Dupont. "You see, me and"
 -Tll make it clear to Captain Hardy In two words, Jake," broke in Van dervyn. He looked at the new agent with frank, direct gaze. You see, captain, some of the Indians have been getting ore, back in the mountains. Jake trades them goods for it. The barter has been good thing for them, and so far, believe, Jake has lost nothing"
 Dupont narrowed his shrewd gray eyes as if calculating. "Well, no, that's
 no lie, Cap. Take it in the long run, ain't lost nothing. It might figure out I've broke even or mebbe some better ' Vandervyn winked at Hardy. "When
 an Indian trader admits he may have
 done some better than to have come |; out even, we can guess what that
 means"
 "Nom dun chien !" grumbled Dupont
 .Ain't the risk to count?" "It has been an unnecessary risk fol ' you to keep your daughter on the res ! ervation after the killing of MT. No , gen." reproved Hardy. q presume she
 Is now going away, not to return until , the trouble has passed"
 "You are quite mistaken, Captain
 Hardy" said the girl. 'I am going fol } the drive and to send off mail order 7 We can rely on the police. Anyway
 none of the tribe would hurt me-" } Dupont scratched his head and nut . tered: "Well, mebbe so. You can't al
 ways tell what they'll do." "Why, Pere," exclaimed Marie, "yoy ? know there's not the slightest danger l to me-"
 , "Well, mebbe not-to you," he ac l auiesced.
 7 "Yet it will be advisable for you tt
 remain away until have the situation well in hand" said Hardy. The girls eyes flashed at the sligh suggestion of dictation. "Tll do as please, thank you," she rejoined. "In this instance you may" agreed Hardy, "since your father admits tha you are in no danger. Otherwise would order you to remain away" "You'd dare to order me?' Certainly. You should know thu scope of the agents authority. It in cludes the right to order off the reser vation anyone not a member of thu tribe."
 The girl smiled mockingly. "You for get told you am quarterbreed." "Marie!'' remonstrated Vandervyn. "Mind your own business!" sh' flashed back at him. q am no ashamed that I'm a member of tht tribe, and, I don't care how soon h, knows 1t, even if he is an officer o1 your little American army"