Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-02-15

when turn ef the iran suddenly gave
him his flrst View Of the broken-topped
mountain and the ridge-side where
Redbear had made the second attempt
to assassinate him. An he looked ut
the shattered summit. his hasel eyes
flashed. He thrust the rife hack into
III sheath. and drew the mare down
to 4 walk.
Behind him he heard mufned drum
ming Of unshod hoofs. vandervyn was
coming up at gallop.
When the mocking trickster cArne
up behind Hardy. no refined II to !
jog trot. and, as before. rode past him
with his hand on his HIP
There were marked differences be-
tween the third pinto and tho two flrst.
He was taller and leaner, and one Of
his feet was white. But Hardy APP
peared to be too detected to heed the
fact. As the pinto ambled away In
the lead. yandervyn smiled, and
looked back at his rival with all the
hate gone from his face. "By-by again,
old man. he bantered. "Sorry can't
stay to keep you company. The lady
Is waiting-and the mine. II may also
please you to hear that have duly
signed and Witnessed contract with
the tribe, giving me a fee Of 20 per
cent on all moneys appropriated In
payment to the tribe for their MIN
eral lands. Let's hear you congratu-
late me. Show you're gamer
But Hardy did not raise his eyes.
As soon M vandervyn was out OF
sight around the castellated rocks at
the top of the ridge. Hardy stopped
the mare and dropped from the saddle.
| His shapely mouth was curved In q
| resolute smile. and his hand was rap
Idly transferring from the saddlebags
to his pockets a pocket Ak, q handful
of pistol cartridges and the legal no
tees for posting a mining claim.
He glanced up the slope, and, seeing
no sign Of vanderyyn. stripped on the
mares bride. sponged out her nostrila
and mouth with the last water In his
canteen.
Hardy took the steep slope at an un.
hurried pace. He reached the place
where he had found the bloody trail
of Redbear. Up the cleft the climbing
was not stiff. He came out on the
valley slope, extremely hot and dry
but not out Of breath. Drawing m
airline across to the opposite noun
tainslde, where no had seen the ligh,
of Tl-owa-konza's campfire through thu
darkness, he started down into TIL
valley at a jog as brisk rs that OF TIN
third pinto. He was almost spent ri
he tottered through the pines up tn,
last slope. The camp was gone. bu
he knew the nearest way to the spring
i He rested two or three minutes. re
peatedly cooling his head In the sprini
and rinsing out his mouth. but drink
Ing only very few sips. Again re
frcshed, he half filled his canteen, nnt
started on up the easy mountain Slope
at steady jog.
Ten minutes brought him over tn
summit to the sharp pitch above thu
mine. He stared down ut the terrac,
several moments. however. before h
made out the figures of man ant
} woman waiting at the first turn O
the trail. There could be no doub
that the two were Marie and her "a
Their.
It was no less certain that Wander
. vyn had not yet arrived. Even had h
suspected his opponents stratagem. h
: scarcely could have covered the seve
miles Of trail In as short time q
Hardy had taken to make the thre
miles across country.
The two watchers never thought I
{ look about and up the mountain. The
}. had not yet looked about when b
) came down upon the crest OF the spul
I A large, newly cut stake gave him
hint where one of the upper corner
!. of the claim should be located. II
|, cut his own stake, drove 1t, and tacke
l on one Of his legal notices. Anothe
I stake indicated the other upper corner
and he swiftly repeated the maxim
> of his own stake and posting Of tn
notice. es
At the curb of the mine shaft h
: posted another notice. He was now |
plain view from the cabin, but out o
sight of the watchers down on tn
trail. On the terrace, as he was work
ing the third stake into bed OF l00s
rocks, he heard IN angry exclamatio
over near the cabin. Dupont and Mi
RE had come around the end of tn
building, and were staring at him.
a frenzy Of disappointed avarice, tn
0 trader reached for his revolver. ST.
more swiftly Marie flung herself upo
him.
"Eo! no! you shall mott" she crie'
Leave It to him--he is SO near! Ii
them play out the camel"
Hardy ran across to cut his In.
stake. Between the ax-blows could
$ heard the hoofbeats Of a gallopin
< horse. He tackled the notice OF
I chopped q small hole with his ak
the hard soil, and set 1t up. The min
: vas his own.
G CHAPTER XXI.
. rh> axAn>r ~ tia Nina