The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-01-12

OOOOOOOOoOocO<
a Buddha. His face was down-bent,
and so muffied In the blanket that
Hardy could not make out the fea-
lures. 1t was. however, easy to d.
vine that the man was the chief Of the
band.
Hardy walked around the fire with
his most dignifie>i bearing, sat down
beside the chief and laid his rifle on
the ground between them. He then
folded his arms and waited, his eyes
fixed on the fire in a calm, unwavering
gaze. There followed a silence OF a
full minutes duration. He knew that
it might end at any moment in an ut
tack. His hand gripped the hilt OF his
pistol on his breast under the edge OF
his coat. The bucks stealthily shifted
their positions until they had COM
pletely surrounded the unwelcome WIS.,
itor. Hardy sat motionless and gave
no sign that he observed them.
At last, when the suspense had be-
come almost uncomfortable, the chief
muttered a word to the nearest buck.
The man glided back toward the larg-
est tepee. The chief pushed the blan-
ket from his head. Hardy slowly
looked aside at him and perceived the
powerful profile Of T-owa-konza, the
Thunderbolt. He was to deal with the
head chief of the tribe.
There followed another silence. 1t
was broken by the tread of light feet.
and girl appeared beside the chief.
Hardy caught glimpse Of gingham
skirt, and glanced quickly up at the
face Of the girl. He was met by the
frightened gaze Of Oinna Redbear.
Obi" she murmured. 1T is bad
You oughtn't to've come here, sir.
They don't like you. Mr.. Van said he
was going to tell you"
A grunt Of disapproval from Ti-owa-
konza cut short the hurried statement.
After dignified silence the chief
spoke to the girl. She clasped her
hands and interpreted in an anxious
murmur:
"He says I must be only the tongue
between you and him. He says, why
did you lie? Why have you not gone
away, as you said you would?"
Hardy turned and looked direct into
the naughty face Of the chief. "Tell
him did not lie. I did not say 1
would go away. I wished to stay and
prove myself the friend of the tribe.
Your brother told the lie to keep the
chiefs from destroying the tribe by
attacking me-"
Oinna's Interpretation brought gut
tural EXPLANATIONS 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 tribe single hand
ed?"
mo, nor do I wish others to destroy
the tribe" answered Hardy. II do not
wish the Longknives to come and make
war on the tribe. Yet that is what
they will do If I 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 awayl" she gasped.
Hardy smiled. "Have no fear, DIN
M. He is too great chief to kill a
guest in his camp. Tell him / came
to the reservation to be friend to the
tribe. Though I am q chief of the
Longknives, my heart is good toward
his people. 1t 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 friend, why did you say
at the council that you would punish
all the tribe for the killing Of Nogen"
'That is a mistake. I did not say
would punish the tribe"
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
II talk as I talked at the agency.
What Ti-owa-konza claims said about
Furnishing the tribe is not the truth.