The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-01-04
after the officer seft. UuF1nH Sfuinr"

After the officer seft. UuTHnt s<ufnr'
ed across the table as her am Dseah
to scratch his head.
"You and Mr.. Van burned lot OF
coal oil last night. He didn't git Tar
enough along to ask you to hitch up
with him, did hep
A red blush famed II the gfFlS
cheeks. Without looking up, she mur-
INJURED regretful mo"
"Guess he figures he'll wait and see
If Hardy is going to bust US up. Like
as not he'll skip back east II Hardy
gifts sore anG 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 hltchee
to the snubbing post. Just now mes
cot 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
feelY'
"You don't savvy about that min1
Me and Nogen discovered 1t and palo
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 the
tribes, Just because It's on the rese1
vation."
II seei" The girls eyes flashed, anl
her nostrlIs flated. HE will rob you
and Reggie Of fertune-yet you WISH
me to be nice to hinl"
"You bet I do! Gait you git the
point? He amt going to he bluffed
into quitting. That means We got to
make friends with him or lose thu
NINE"
ooh! So that IN it,"
"Yep. Worst Of 1t 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 s0eMng tho
nnne. He was mighty off1sa. Guess
we'll have to give him Nogen's ssdrd to
get him into our camp"
"What shame! The mine Is ycSrs
and Reggie's. He hasn't doae thiDg
toward developing it."
II know. But he's the ageak. xae's
got US roped. He can rob US 81 suE
mine if we don't make fFseadb with
him. Now do you savvy?"
The girls thick black eyebrows eaet
n q frown Of vexation. IF fse ~ a
man whose friendship must be notaslst,
I do not wish to be pleasant to hfAA,"
"It's business, Marie. Thew sa#'t
no two ways about it. Mr.. VaR'k tRsag-
ing fire, awaiting to see If Tu tnse
the mine. If we do, he can't atfost3 TO
marry no poor girl off reservrtbszos,
every we'll. I shall make my"'se.
agreeable to Captain Hardy. Rut wait
until am free to pay him out for N!"
"Nom dun CHEN !" muttered Dupeszr
at sight Of her Strengthened ha,s.
'That's the Injun in you. Don't let
him see you look that way use asSsr
we git the mine cinched."
II am not fool, mon PEREZ"
Dupont shook his grizzled head &c.
biously.
But at midday, when Hardy camss
over for the noon dinner, Marie rs~
ceived his courteous greeting with
graciousness that soon ightened Ito
pensive severity az his look. Befs~s
the end Of the meal they were chattsas
II manner that brought a twinkle
into Dupont's cunning eyes.
The girl proposed a ride up the val
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 Red
bear, had nothing to do except instrascs
the police in his ideas of cleanliness
and discipline.
Marie never looked more charmAay
than when on a horse. She took her
new friend for long ride around enc
Of the mountains. Every cliff aHd
rock and ninev SloIap was familiar to.