The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-02-01

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n Buddha. His face was dOwn-bent,
and so mufled in the blanket that
Hardy could not make out the fea-
lures. 1t was, however, easy to di-
vine that the man was the chief of the
band.
Hardy walked around the fire with
his most dlgnined 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 n calm, u~nwayering
gaze. There followed a silence of II
full minutes duration. He knew that
II might end at any moment in an ct
tack. His hand gripped the hllt 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.,
it0r. Hardy sat m~otionless 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 Mt him and perceived the
powerful profile of Ti-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 q girl appeared beside the chief.
Hardy caught a glimpse Of Il Bingham
skirt, and glanced quickly up ut the
face Of the girl. He was met by the
frightened gaze of Olnna ltedbear.
oh" she murmured. at Is bad!
You oughtn't to'vc come here, sir.
They don't like you. Mr.. Van said he
was going to tell you"
A grunt of disnpproval from Ti-Owa-
konza cut short the hurried statement.
After n dignifled silence the chief
spoke to the girl. She clasped her
hands and interpreted. In an anxious
murmur:
Gle says l must be only the tongue
between you and him. He says, why
did you lie? Why have you not gone
away, rs you said you wOuld?p
Hardy turned and looked direct into
the naughty face Of the chief. "Tell
him l did not lie. did not say
would 90 away. | 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-"
Olnna's Interpretation brought gut
tural ordinations from the surround
ing bucks. Hardy was equally un-
moved by their ferocious g%lances and
the contemptuous r%ejoinder of Ti-owa-
kOnZa:
"DOes the chief of the Longknives
think to destroy u tribe slngle-hand.
ed?"
mo, nor do ! wish others to destroy
the tribe" answered Hardy. 81 do not
wish the L%Ongknlves to come and make
war on the tribe. Yet that Is what
| they will do If / am harmed"
Again Olnna interpreted in her flute
like tones. This time the chief consid'
cred before speaking. Olnna's gold
tinted skin turned n sAllow gray.
"He-he says he will fight If you dc
not promise to 90 away" she gasped
Hardy smiled. "Have no fear, DIN
ma. He is too great n chief to kill
guest in his camp. Tell him ] came
TO the reservation to be q friend to the
tribe. Though | am a chief Of The
Longkniyes, my heart Is good TOWARD
his people 1t would be foolish Of
him to kill or drive away the frlent
Of his people"
This time Ti-Owa-kOnza gave the in
truder an open stare of contempt. TIL,
surrounding bucks glared more fero
ciously than ever.
'He says you are fOrk-tongued,
Oinna translated the reply. "He says
If you are n friend, why did you sa!
at the council that you would punIsl
all the tribe for the killing of Nogen?
"That Is Il mistake. l did not say
would punish the tribe"
Oinna interpreted the nswer ant
the grim old chiefs rejoinder: 9Th,
Longknife's mouth was big at tn
agency. Here he is alone in my cam
and his mouth is small"
81 talk as l talked at the agency
What Tl-owa-konza claims l said abOu
Furnishing the tribe Is not the truth