Williams news., 1917-03-29

Oinna's interpretation brought gut tural exclamations from the surround ing bucks. Hardy was equally un- moved by their ferocious glances and the contemptuouS rejoinder of Ti-owa- konza:
 "Does the chief of the Longknives think to destroy a tribe single-hand- ed?"
 'No, nor do wish others to destroy the tribe," answered Hardy. q do not wish the Longknives to come and make war on the tribe. Yet that is what they will do if am harmed"
 Again Oinna interpreted in her flute like tones. This time the chief consid cred before speaking. Oinna's gold tinted. skin turned sallow gray.
 "He-he says he will fight if you do not promise to go away!" she gasped.
 Hardy smiled. Have no fear, Oin- na. He is too great a chief to kill guest in his camp. Tell him I came to the reservation to be friend to the tribe. Though I am a chief of the Longknives, my heart is good toward his people. It would be foolish of him to kill or drive away the friend of his people,"
 This time Ti-owa-konza gave the in- truder an open stare of contempt. The surrounding bucks glared more fero- ciously, than ever.
 "He says you are fork-tongued," Oinna translated the reply. "He says, if you are a friend. why did you say at the council that you would punish all the tribe for the killing of Nogen"
 ''That is mistake. did not say I would punish the tribe."r
 Oinna interpreted the answer and the grim old chiefs rejoinder: ''The Longknife's mouth was big at the agency. Here he is alone in my camp and his mouth is small.'
 T talk as I talked at the agency. What Ti-owa-konza claims I said about punishing the tribe is not the truth. There must have been a mistake in the interpretation, or the chiefs did not hear aright., I had only peace and friendship in my heart. I said that l did not blame the killing of MT. Nogen on the tribe."
 This statement failed to break Thunderbolt's mask of stolidity, though some of the other Indians slightly relaxed their menacing atti- tude. Hardy took Csf his hat to show the red scar above his temple, and spoke again:
 q do not blame the killing of MT. Nogen on the tribe; nor do I blame the tribe for the wrongdoing of the bad-hearted Indian who shot me in the head five days ago. The same man, or another man with bad heart, tried to shoot me, after sundown to- day, as I came up the trail over on the other side of the broken-topped noun tain.''
 Oinna's interpretation was met by guttural "Ugh!' of surprise even from the chief. He asked shrewdly: "If the Longknife does not lie, is he not afraid to be in my camp? It is the nearest to the trail.''
 Hardy smiled and held out his open palm to the chief. q trust Ti-owa- konza and his people. There is only 1 to feel good in his heart toward me when he learns that am the friend of the tribe."
 Still the old chiefs face remained inscrutably immobile. He pcndered and at last made another sharp query |: "The Longknife claims that he is q friend. Why, then, did he say at the council that he will do the way Nogen did and make my people dig stones l and irt ho 1r,;f ont giving them any trade goods for their work?' t...- Hardy'S clear eyes dimmed for a mOment,- and then sparkled with con- prehension. He answered with an earnest sincerity of tone that com pelled belief:
 "1 now see that at the council Red bear mistoOk much of what I told him to say, or else, in their anger, Ti-owa- konZa and his subchiefs failed to un- derstand alright the interpretation. The place where stones are dug is on h. dian ground. It belongs to the tribe. No white man has any right to make your people dig stones. If they are willing to dig, they must be given trade goods for their work.''
 The response to this statement was unmistakable. The moment that Oinna shad interpreted it the last trace of menace disappeared from the bearing of the Indians, and even the chief began to relax. Yet he had still an other query:
 Did the Longknife say he would stop tho issue to the tribe of all gov ernment goods and that he would take away from the tribe all their lands and give them to the white men?'
 At last the real cause of the failure of the council was disclosed. Either intentionally or through stupid blun- dering, Redbear had made the chiefs furious by a twisted interpretation that had given the exact reverse of what had been intended. With the key to the situation in his hands, 1 uord1, of anoa horon to ,,ooJ,o olo,