Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-01-11

cultural order. The threatening
bucks drew apart to right and left and
naked boy ran forward with a
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 a bullet or
an arrow through his body. and he
knew 1t. Yet he faced them as coolly
and quietly as If they were his own
party.
The bucks looked toward the far
side Of the fire, as Ii for the signal to
strike down the audacious intruder.
Hardy followed their glances and per-
ceived blanket-wrapped Indian who
sat In the midst of the volcanic hush
seemingly as placid and immobile as
Buddha. His face was down-bent,
and so mutfied 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 dignifled 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 calm. unwavering
gaze. There followed a silence OF a
| full minutes duration. He knew that
it might end at any moment in an at
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 Ti-owa-konza, the
Thunderbolt. He was to deal with the
head chief Of the tribe.
There followed another silence. It
was broken by the tread Of light feet,
and a girl appeared beside the chi sf.
Hardy caught a glimpse Of Bingham
skirt, and glanced quickly up at the
face of the girl. He was met by the
frightened gaze Of Oinna Redbear.
tOhl" she murmured. at 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 dlgnitied silence the chief
spoke to the girl. She clasped her
hands and interpreted In an anxious
murmur:
"He says 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 wouldT
Hardy turned and looked direct into
the naughty face of the chief. 'Tell
him / did not lie. ! did not say /
would 90 away. wished to stay and
prove myself the friend Of the tribe.
Your nrother told the lie to keep the
chiefs from destroying the tribe by
attacking me-"
Oinaa's Interpretation brought gut
tural exclamations from the surround
ing bucks. Hardy was equally un-
moved by their ferocio1s giances and
the contemptuous rejoinder Of T-owa-
korza:
Does the chief of the Longknives
think to destroy a tribe single-.and-
ed?"
"No, nor do wish others to destroy
the tribe" answered Hardy. II do not
wish the Longknives to come and make
war on the tribe. let that is Whist
they will do II am harmed"