Williams news., 1917-04-12
CHAPTER XVI.
The FiQhtinu Chance,

SnAF Gn NVIs
 The Fighting Chance.
 Vandervyn was up before dawn. But Marie was up an hour earlier, and sent her father over to make sure that her lover came for the breakfast she had prepared for him. While he ate, she stocked his saddlebags for the trip, and gave the pinto a good feed of oats.
 He tried to see her alone, and failed. She was too clever for him. But when he went out to mount, she permitted him a single parting kiss in the presence of her father.
 Dupont had saddled one of his own ponies to ride out' with the trav- eler. As they logged down the road In the dim starlight, he bit off a 'chaw" of plug tobacco, squinted at the vague form of his companion, and chuckled.
 "Whats the joker" irritably queried Vandervyn.
 "'Tain't no joke, MT. Van. Just the same, it tickles me to know you and Marie has agreed to hitch up."
 "Who said anyth ng about an agree ment?'' snapped the young man.
 "Now, now, keep on your shirt !" soothed Dupont. Marie wouldn't never have let you kiss her if she didn't intend to take you."
 vandervyn suddenly changed his tone: "Tm glad to hear you say it, Jake. You see, she does not alto gether like the idea of keeping quiet about our engagement-our betrothal, you would say in Canada. But if Hardy should hear of it, he probably would notify my uncle. Then goodby mine and all"
 "Uum!'' grunted Dupont.
 "Mine and allr repeated Wander vyn. i've told you why. I'll fix it so we'll get the mine and maybe some thing else-and I'll fix Hardy!''
 "Didn't know you was still so down on him. Wasn't it all smoothed over! You been acting that way"
 "Wait and see me rub his fur the other way! I'll put over a game on him that" Vandervyn checked the disclosure, and began asking ques- tionS about the traits of the five chiefs chosen as tribal delegates.
 Half an hour after sunrise Dupont came jogging back home, his heavy face set in a satisfied grin. The con- piacency of his look lessened when he entered, and saw the Indian boy re- moving the evidences of someone's solitary meal. He knocked at his daughters door. After quite delay she calleS to him that he might enter. He found her seated at the foot of the bed, with a little 1eather-bound book in her lap. Though her eyelids were swollen, she met him with her usual look of quiet self-possession.
 You let Cap eat alone," he re- marked. Don't call that being hos pit1e, do you?"
 eff he had been more conSiderate, Reggie could have remained until the delegation leaves" coldly replied the girl.
 Well, we got to keep in with him till MT. Van gifts things fixed. You see, if he gifts mad and reports on us to Washington, we'll git kicked off the reservation and barred from any chance of the mine."
 Did Reggie say that?''
 Yep. It's why, he says, he leaves it to you to keep quiet about the en- gagement. If you let on about it to Hardy, he's likely to git jealous and put Senator Clemmer next. That would queer the whole deal at this stage of the game"
 II do not believe that Captain Hardy would do such thing" declared the girl.
 All right. MT. Van leaves it to you to tell him, if you want to. I ain't saying Cap mayn't be a straight laced in everything else. But when 1t comes to being dead gone on a girl like you, and at his age, too-needn't tell me he won't do his level best to put MT. Van out of the running any way he can.'
 The girl sprang up, her eyes afire with a flare of unreasoning anger.
 "He shall not! !' she cried. Reggie is coming backr'
 "He won't have no chance to if it leaks out about you and him going to git married"