Meade County news., 1917-02-15

trader"
"That's me-only they make 1t Jake
this side of Ottawa. Marie guessed
you're an army officer"
Captain Floyd Hardy, United States
cavalry" stated the newcomer as he
raised his glasses.
The blond young man Strengthened
out of his insolently careless pose, and
spoke in the tone of a gentleman
"Pleased to meet you, Captain Hardy.
You were in command of the Philip
pine cOnstabulary force that sup
pressed the recent insurrectiOn in the
Sulu islands. You received favorable
mention from congress. am Reginald
Vandervyn of the Vandervyns of Stat
en- Island. Senator Clemmer is my
uncle"
The captain responded to the intro
duction with a curt bow.
"See anything of the p1eece, Capri
asked Dupont.
"Yes. They should be here in few
minutes"
II see Them" said the girl. 'rhey're
coming down the slope this side of the
Sioux Creek divide"
"They're Slow" growled Vandervyn.
"I'll ride back and head them cross
country. They have good horses. They
shall run out every buck in the bunch"
He spun his pony about to sprint
down the road into the coulee. Hardy
uttered a stern order: "Halt!"
Angered at the command and still
more at the impulse that compelled
him to obey it, Vandervyn twisted
about in his saddle to face the officer
with challenging stare.
"Keep that talk for your interiors;"
he said. II am acting agent of this
reservation. What 1 say goes. I'll have
those bucks trailed till every one of
them is in the guardhouse or feeding
the crows"
"YOu are mistaken, Mr.. Vandervyn,"
replied Hardy, and he drew an official
envelope from an inside pocket. "You
are only the chief clerk on this reser-
vation. l have been detailed to serve
as acting agent"
"You?" cried Vandervyn. "Why, it
was all fixed for me to be appointed
agent. My uncle wired me that my
name would go through for the promo
ton without q hitch. So you pulled
the wires to cut me out?"
II pulled no wires, Mr.. Vandervyn,"
Hardy coldly met the accusation. ION
my return from the islands, last month,
l asked for detail to active service
in the open, preferably here in the
northwest, on account of my health"
"Do you mean to say you did not
ask for this place in particular?"
mo. The detail was given me be-
cause of the killing Of the late agent
and the reported restlessness of the
tribe"
you'll find these ugly bucks differ
ent from Moros."
Perhaps" said Hardy. He looked
at the two big, lumpy sacks that were
lashed on the blackboard. "You had
started for the railroad"
"Pere and Mr.. Van wished to ship
out the ore" explained the girl.
"Ore?" inquired Hardy.
swell, yes, it's sort of ORE" ad-
mitted Dupont. "You see, me and"
'Tll make it clear to Captain Hardy
in two words, jake" broke in Van
dervyn. He looked at the new agent
with frank, direct gaze. "You see,
captain, some of the Indians have been
getting ore, back in the mountains.
Jake trades them goods for it, The
barter has been a good thing for them,
and so far, believe, Jake has lost
nothing"
Dupont narrowed his shrewd gray
eyes as if calculating. "Well, no, that's
no lie, Cap. Take it in the long run, l
amt lost nothing. 1t might figure out
I've broke even or mebbe some better"
Vandervyn winked at Hardy. "When
an Indian trader admits he may have
done some better than to have come
out even, we can guess what that
means"
"Nom dun chien !" grumbled Dupont.
"Ain't the risk to cOunt?"
'It has been an unnecessary risk for
you to keep your daughter ON the res
ervation after the killing of Mr.. No
gen." reproved Hardy. II presume she
is now going away, not to return until
the trouble has passed"
"You are quite mistaken, Captain
Hardy" said the girl. II am going for
the drive and to send off mail order.
We can rely on the police. Anyway,
none of the tribe would hurt me-"
Dupont scratched his head and NUT
tered: "Well, mebbe so. You can't al
ways tell what they'll do"
"Why, Perez" exclaimed Marie, "you
know there's not the slightest danger
to me-"
"Well, mebte MOTTO you," he ac-
qulesced.
'fYet 1t will Oe advisable for you to
remain away until I have the situation
well in hand" said Hardy.
The girls eyes flashed at the slight
suggestion of dictation. "I'll do as /
please, thank you," she rejoined.
I'm this instance you may" agreed
Hardy, "since your father admits that
you are in no danger. Otherwise