The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-10-18

n cultural order. The threatening
bucks drew apart to right and left and
II naked boy ran forward with n
blazing stick to drive Off the dogs.
Hardy calmly advanced To the fire
between the grim and stolid bucks.
There was not one among them who
was not itching to drive II bullet or
an arrow through his body. and he
knew 1t. Yet he faced them as coolly
and quietly as II they were his own
party.
The bucks looked toward the far
side OF the fire, as IL for the signal to
strike down the audacious intruder.
Hardy followed their g~lances and per-
ceived u blanket-wrapped indian who
sat in the midst Of the volcanic hush
seemingly us placid and immobile as
n Buddha. His face was d%own-bent.
and so muffied In the blanket that
Hardy could cot 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 digritied bearing, sat down
beside the chief and laid his rifle on
the ground between them. He hen
folded his arms and waited. his eyes
fixed on the fire in II calm, ~unwavering
gaze. There followed n silence Of a
full minutes duration. He knew that
It might end at any moment In an at
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 hey 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
muttcred n word to the nearest buck.
The man glidcd back toward the lnrg-
est tepee. The chief pushed the blan-
kct from his head. Hardy slowly
looked aside Mt him and perceived the
powerful profile of Ti-owu.konzn, the
Thunderbolt. He was to deal with the
lead chief Of the tribe.
There followed another silence. II
vas broken by the tread of light feet,
and II girl appeared beside the chief.
Hardy caught IA glimpse of II bingham
skirt, and glanced quickly up ut the
face of the girl. He was met by the
frightened gaze OF Oinna Rcdbear.
OH she murmured. at Is bad I.
You Oughtn't to've come here, sir.
They don't like you. Mr.. Van said he
was going to tell you"
4 grunt OF dlsapproval from Ti.owa-
konza cut short the hurried statement.
After a dignlfiei silence the chief
spoke TO the girl. She clasped her
hands and Interpreted In an anxious
murmur.
"Ile says | must be only the tongue
between you and him. He says, why
did you lie? Why have you not gone
away, ms you said you woullf"
Hardy turned and looked direct into
the naughty face OF the chief. ''rell
him ] did not lie. ! did not say I
would go away. ! wished Ia 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 glt'
tural ~exclamatlons from the surround.
Ing bucks. Hardy was equally un.
moved by their ferocIous Chances and
the contemptuous reJolRder of Tl-owa,
/, konzn:
docs the chief OF tie L~ongknlves
think TO destroy u tribe single-hand
edf"
: mo. nor do I wish others to destroy
! the tribe" answered Hardy. II do not
wish the Longknives TO come and max,
war on the tribe. Yet that Is what
} they will do II ! I'M harmed"