Williams news., 1917-04-19

The document had been miSdirected, had been returned to Washington, and then seemingly had been pigeonholed for several days by some careless clerk before being remailed to him.
 If he had not established a more ire quent mail service, in place of the cus- tomary weekly trip to town by one of the police, the commissioners might have arrived before he received the notice.
 He was still more surprised when, the following day, he and Marie rode down Sioux creek to where it flowed into Wolf river. The moment the view down the coulee opened before them, they perceived several tents pitched in the bottom, at the foot of the butte. They found twenty or twenty five rough-looking men encamped along the spring Till in light dog-tents. A few were cowboys, but the greater number had the appearance and outfits of prospecting miners. They stared at Marie with the respectful admiration of typical Westerners for an "honest" woman, and readily answered Hardy's civil questions.
 Notice of the prospective opening of the mineral lands of the reservation had been published in a few very ob- scure weekly papers. One of the men gave Hardy a blurred sheet of little country journal, and pointed out the government notice. It was printed in the midst of several uninteresting legal notices. The old fellow winked know ingly, and remarked that, as long as he was in on the eame, he didn't care how quiet it was played.
 'What could that man have meant about being in on a quiet gamer" Ma rie asked Hardy, as they rode down the coulee to take the road back to the agency.
 'T believe I understand, and I do not altogether like it." replied Hardy. ''The fellow probably is right in think ing that undue influence is being eX- erted to give as little publicity as pos sible to the opening of the mineral lands to entry"
 'Do you really think so? Of course it is not right Yet where is the harm? These men have been enter prising enough to seize the opportu- nifty, and they deserve the chances of good fortune"
 "The transaction has rather too much the appearance of a prearranged scheme" replied Hardy. His thought full face darkened with the shadow of anxiety. 'If I could be sure that it would bring only good fortune to you!"
 The profound tenderness and con cern in his voice seemed to startle Marie. She leaned forward, and put her pony into a gallop.
 The day before, immediately upon receipt of the official statement from Washington, Hardy had sent a messcn- ger to notify Ti-owa-konZa. Two days later the head chief came with all his large family, including Oinna. Marie insisted that the girl should come to stay with her until the return of Red bear, and immediately fitted out the girl with good dresses from her own wardrobe. When Hardy spoke of her generosity, she smiled and shrugged
 "It is little enough to do for any one, captain. I was tired of those old gowns. Anyway, as a quarterbreed, I owe it to my own self-respect to keep halfbreed girl from going around like a full-blOod woman"
 Her brother will be greatly pleased"
 q had no thought of him. He is rather a worthless fellow. It is strange to me how proud Oinna is of him. She says nothing, but one can see that she is in a fever of joyous excitement over the prospect of his return"
 Hardy drowned, parted his lips to speak, and thought better of it.
 You were going to say" ob- served Marie.
 "Something that must be left unsaid, if you will pardon me-" he replied, and he shifted the conversation to the question of accommodations for the commissioners.
 The arrival of the commissioners early in the afternoon of the following day would have taken the agency by surprise if Hardy had not posted a lookout on the signal mountain. The orearranged smoke-sign gave warning Of the approach of the party while It was yet many miles away over the plains. Even at that, Hardy and Marie and Dupont were not quite ready 10 greet the visitors when they came into view down the valley. The explanation of their quick trip from the railroad at once became evident. Commissioners, Indian dele gates and ali were slowed in two large touring cars.
 Vandervyn was driving the foremost car. He brought it up the slope of the agency terrace with rush, and spun It around in curve that ended before the porch of the Dupont house. The second car rolled straight on across the terrace to the tepee of Ti-owa- kOnZa.
 Hardy, who was about to start