The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-11-22
BY
b Ames Bennet

When he came up the road to the head
Of the gulley, those who had gone be-
fore him were all quite a distance
ahead, with vandervyn still In the
lead. Midway between the mouth OF
the valley and the hgency. the long
striding mare began to pass ponies
whose riders had thought better Of
their whirlwlnd start. Others were
still Looping In swift pursuit Of Wander
vyn.
Hardy walked the mare up the slope
Of the agency terrace. He saw moth
ing OF Dupont or Marie, and the In
dlans had moved away with their te-
PEGS. But In the rear Of the ware
house he caught a glimpse Of two In
dian policemen removing the load from
V~andervyn's pack pony. His face
clouded. He put the mare into a gal
lop.
All the way to the head Of the val
ley Hardy held to a steady gallop. One
after another, he passed the remaining
leaders. The best Of the ponies were
no match In speed with the big thor
%oughbred.
At last only vandervyn was ahead.
As Hardy overhauled and forged past
Vandervyn, the young fellow turned
and met his gaze with q look Of mock
Ing hate. Hnrdv glanced back sew
eral times, prepared to fling himself
fiat alongsiue the pommel Of his sad.
die. His uneasiness did not lessen
when a few minutes later Vandervyn
halted, and scrambled down from the
trail to get a drink out Of the creek,
The crease In Hardy's forehead deep.
ened.
Ahead, the walls of the canyon were
sloping back into the widened valley
where had been the first Indian camp
Dogs, Indians and tepees. all were
gone. Only a brush-walled dance
lodge remained to mark the camp site
As the mare pounded past, she curved
her outstrctched neck toward the
lodge and whinnlcd. Hardy heard nc
answer to the call, but his frown sud
denly decpened.
He reached forward and strOked
the mares sleek neck. Hot as haC
bt'h tht INV lI'il lhS uS'IlNs sIiN
had not turned q hair. His frown re-
Taxed. Yet his tight lips showed thai
he was still uneasy. lie balanced him
self In his stirrups, and began to ride
as lightly as possible.
Ascending the mountainslde, he was
compelled to content himself with the
mares nervous, long-strided walk
But whenever the trail was not :oC
steep OF rough, he put her into a trct
and varied the pace with IN occasional
short gallop.
An hour passed. lie was already
well into the mountains. He came e
II succession of steep climbs and de
scents that held the mare down to &
walk. Presently he thought he hcnrt
hoofbeats behind him. He listened
lie had not been mistaken. An I'm
shod horse was coming up with him a
II steady jog trot.
It seemed Impossible that Wander
vyn's pinto could have so rccupcrutet
from that whirlwind heading OF tn,
rush as to be able to take this steel
trail at n trot. Hardy gazed buck, tx
pccting To see one of the cowboys. A.
he went down over u ridge crest, tn,
rider came up the ridge back across
the intervening gulch. The mar
snatched Off his brOad-brimmed hat Il
wave "a salute. The sun glinted with 4
golden sheen on the unmistakublt
blond head Of Vandervyn.
At the first small break In the de
scent Hardy ~dismounted, %unsaddled
and sponged out the mares mouth ant
|, n~ostrlls with water from his canteen
Navajo saddle blanket. and started tc
resaddle. But before he buckled the
cinch-strap he shifted the pistol from
his breast to u front pocket In his rid
Ing breeches.
lie was vigorously grooming tn,
, mare when vnndervyn came jogsin,
, down through the thlckcts of tall brusl
, that grew close on each side OF thu
trail. He did not pause In his rub
? bling until the nlmble.footed unshoC
: pony ambled into view, less than
, dozen yards up the trail. Then h
glanced about. Strengthened. and stoo,
, staring. The pony was n pinto.
| Vandervyn, smiling with insolent OK
/ %ultance, rode down TO him, his RICH
hand %jauntily poised on his hip. owe
the hllt of his revolver. His eye
r challenged his rival with an nudaclous
provoking stare. But Hardy looked
, only at the pinto. There was no slgI
2 Of sweat luthcr on his rough cont, NJ
WEAKNESS In his gait. lie vas fresh
| Lots Of comeback TO a bronco
. captain" purred Vandcrvyn. "Sorr.
TO see that you've stove up your mare
: She's too hlghbred for a rocky roa,
like this. But you might take of he
shoes and travel light. the way Iv'
DONE"
: The pony wal now ambling dow
= the slope past the ire Hardy locke,
! ut the unshod hoofs. They we've GOV
cred with a coating Of clay mire iron
the bottom OF the last gulch. and tn,
!. beasts shutting pace did not expos