Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-03-22

the edge and shoot. The rider wheeled
his mare and rode back past the skit-
fish ponies. The woman had crept In
from the entrance Of the gulley to
where she could stand upright without
exposing herself to the fire Of the
Indians.
She came up the slope with an easy,
springing step that told Of youthful
buoyancy. From under the hem of her
neat Bingham dress peeped the toes of
small, blue-beaded moccasins. Having
reloaded her pistol, she raised her
head to look up at the rider. He was
lifting his hand to touch his hat with
perfunctory courtesy. Then he saw
her face-calm, proud, wildly beauti-
full.
He removed his hat, with sudden
change in his manner that brought a
CLEAN into the girls blue-black eyes.
A trifle disconnected by the girls
cool scrutiny, he brusquely demanded:
what Is the trouble here?"
She looked from his cavalry puttees
to his army saddle and the butt Of his
rifle. II guess you needn't worry about
your scalp" she assured him, her rich
contralto voice as soft as it was sweet
~ hooking. "You came near getting a
hair brand, I see. But you're safe
enough now If you keep close"
The raillery brought slight flush in
to his sallow cheeks. Yet his gaze did
not finch before her look of disdain.
He asked another question: slave
they taken the agency7"
mo. We saw this bunch up the
bank. Reggie cut loose at them before
Pere could stop him."
"'Pere7' Ah-your father. The
other man fred at them first, you say?"
"Can you blame him? He was along
when the agent was shot down, last
week. You may have heard Of the
murder.'
Eyes. shll 1t was wrong for him to
invite an attack, with a woman in his
party"
"Oh, I'm only a quarterbreed, you
know" replied the girl with ironical
lightness. "Besides, Reggie thought
the party was trying to head us of.
Don't worry. Charlie Redbear crawled
up the road half an hour ago. The
chances are we can hold out until he
fetches the police" A rifle shot pune.
tuated the remark.
The rider looked over the coulee
bank across at the jagged crest Of the
butte. IF they slip over there" he
said, "this position will become unten-
able. The butte is the key to the stu
alton"
He looked at the girl, between con-
Germ and swiftly growing admiration of
her remarkable beauty. Her eyes were
like blue-black diamonds. An almost
imperceptible film Of old-gold enriched
the cream and rose of her cheeks. Her
jet-black hair was Of French fineness.
The curve Of her rather large mouth
was perfect.
But the red lips were again parting
in disdainful smile. She replied with
out seeking to conceal her scorn: IF
you're afraid they'll take the butte,
you might get away by boiling down
the coulee. Well do what we can to
draw their fire."
"You Wilt" he said. '.Thank you for
your suggestion. believe I'll follow
it. Kindly step aside"
She stood motionless. her eyes gilt.
tering with cold contempt of his cow
ardice. Unchecked by the look, he
leaned forward in the saddle. The
mare leaped- away like startled deer.
Once clear Of the gulley she swerved
sharply and raced away down the cou-
lee. The flight was SO unexpected, so
daring and so swift that the fugitive
had been borne good fifty yards down
along the foot of the near slope before
the Indians opened fire on him.
The girl had crept forward and
crouched In the entrance Of the gulley
to peer after him.
1.-THE coward I" she cried. '.The cow
ard! hope they get himl"
But before one Of the many bullets
could find the leaping, receding mark,
mare and rider shot out Of sight behind
q clump OF willows. At once the firing
ceased.
The blond young man under the bush
glanced around at the girl and called
jeeringly: II say, Marie. bows that
for a bobtail VISIT Took him for q
gentleman" =
| aGentleman3 That's the word" she
Knocked. conduct becoming IN odacss
and gentleman"