Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-02-15

ng his mare to her usual steady trot.
When he came up the road to the head
of the gulley, those who had gone be-
fore him were all quite q distance
ahead, with Vanderyyn still In the
lead. Midway between the mouth of |
the valley and the agency. the long
striding mare began to pass ponies
whose riders had thought better of
their whirlwind start. Others were
still looping in swift pursuit Of Wander
vyn.
Hardy walked the mare up the slope
Of the agency terrace. He saw moth
Ing of Dupont or Marie, and the In
dams had moved away with their te-
PEGS. But In the rear Of the ware
house he caught a glimpse OF two In
dian policemen removing the load from
pack pony. Hts face
He put the mare into q gal
lop.
. All the way to the had Of the val
ley Hardy held to steady gallop. One
after another, he passed the remaining
leaders. The best Of the ponies were
no match In speed with the big thor
oughbred.
At last only vandervyn was ahead.
AS Hardy overhauled and forged past
Vandervyn, the young fellow turned
and met his gaze with look Of mock
ing hate. Hardy glanced back sew
eral times. prepared to fling himself
fiat alongside the pommel Of his sad
die. His uneasiness did not lessen
when a few minutes later Vandervyn
halted, and scrambled down from the
trail to get q drink out of the creek.
The crease In Hardy's forehead deep
ened.
Ahead, the walls of the canyon were
sloping back into the widened valley
where had been the first Indian camp.
Dogs, Indians and tepees, all were
gone. Only brush-walled dance
lodge remained to mark the camp site.
AS the mare pounded past, she curved
her outstretched neck toward the
lodge and whinnied. Hardy heard no
answer to the call. but his frown sud-
denly deepened.
He reached forward and stroked
the mares sleek neck. Hot as had
been the race from the agency, she
had not turned q hair. His frown re-
Taxed. Yet his tight lips showed that
he was still uneasy. He balanced him
self in his stirrups. and began to ride
MS Lightly as possible.
Ascending the mountainside, he was
compelled to content himself with the
mares nervous, long-strided walk.
But whenever the trail was not 100
steep or rough, he put her into trot,
and varied the pace with an occasional
short gallop.
An hour passed. He was already
well into the mountains. He came to
a succession of steep climbs and de-
scents that held the mare down to q
walk. Presently he thought he heard
hoofbeats behind him. He listened
He had not been mistaken. An un
shod horse was coming up with him al
a steady jog trot.
It seemed impossible that Wander
vyn's pinto could have SO recuperatet
from that whirlwind heading Of thu
rush as to be able to take this steer
trail at trot. Hardy gazed back, ex
pecting to see one Of the cowboys. Al
he went down over a ridge crest, the
rider came up the ridge back across
the intervening gulch. The mar
ofe htn a fS,svyn nod N
wave a salute. The sun glinted with
golden sheen on the unmistakable
blond head of Vandervyn.
At the first small break In the de.
scent Hardy dismounted, unsaddled
and sponged outathe mares mouth and
nostrils with water from his canteen
He then shook out and refolded his
Navajo saddle blanket, and started tt
resaddle. But before he buckled the
cinch-strap he shifted the pistol from
his breast to front pocket In his rid
ing breeches.
He was vigorously grooming tht
mare when Vandervyn came jogging
down through the thickets Of tall brusi
that grew close On each side Of thu
trail. He did not pause in his rub
bling until the nlmble-footed unshot
pony ambled into view, r-ss than
dozen yards up the trail. Then HI
glanced about, Strengthened, and stoot
ctaring. The pony was pinto.
vandervyn, smiling with insolent en-
ultance, rode down to him, his RICH
hand jauntily poised on his hip. owe
the hilt of his revolver. His eye
challenged his rival with an audacious
provoking stare. But Hardy looke'
only at the pinto. There was no sigl
of sweat lather on his rough coat, n
WEAKNESS In his gait. He was fresh
'Iots Of comeback to a bronco
captain purred yandervyn. "Sorr.
to see that you've stove up your mare
She's too highbred for a rocky roa'
like this. But you might take off he
shoes aud travel light, the way Fy
DONE"
The pony was now ambling dow
the slope past the mare. Hardy looke'
at the unshod hoofs. They were Gov
cred with a coating Of clay mire from
the bottom of the last gulch, and tn
beasts shutting pace did not expos
the under surface of the hoofs. Wheth
er the pony had or had not been re