The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-11-22

mountain and the ridge-sidc where
Redbear had made the second attempt
to assassinate him. As he looked at
the shattered summit. his hazel eyes
flashed. He thrust the rifle back into
its sheath, and drew the mare down
to a walk.
Behind him he heard n mufled drum
ming OF unshod hoofs. vandervyn was
coming up ut a gnllop.
When the mocklng trickster came
up behind Hardy, he refined In to u
jog trot, and, as before, rode past him
with his hand on his hip.
There were marked differences be-
tween the third pinto and the two first.
lie was taller and %leaner, and n Of
his feet was white. But Hardy APP
peared TO be too detected to heed the
fact. As the pinto nmbled away in
the lead, vandervyn smiled. and
looked back Mt his rival with all the
hate gone from his face. "By-by again,
old man." he bantered. "Sorry l can't
stay to keep you company. The lady
Is wniting-and the mine. II may also
please you to hear that / have a duly
signed and witnessed contract with
the tribe, giving me a fee Of 20 per
cent on all moneys appropriated In
payment to the tribe for their min
eral lnnds. Let's hear you congratu-
late me. Show you're game !"
But Hardy did not raise his eyes.
As soon as vandervyn was out Of
sight around the castellated rocks at
the top Of the ridge, Hardy stopped
the mare and dropped from the saddle.
Ills shnpely mouth was curved In u
~resolute smile, and his hand was rap
idly transferring from the saddlebags
to his pockets a pocket ax. a handful
Of pistol cartridges and the legal no.
| tees for posting a mining claim.
He glanced up the slope. and. seeing
no sign OF Vi.adervyn, stripped OF the
mares Bride. sponged out her nostrIls
| and mouth with the last water In his
canteen.
Hardy took the steep slope ut an un-
hurried pace. He reached the place
where he had found the bloody trail
Of Itedbear. Up the cleft the climbing
was not stiff. He came out on the
valley slope, extremely hot and dry
but not out Of breath. Drawing an
airline across to the opposite noun
tainslde. where he had seen the light
of Ti-owa-konza's campfire through the
darkness, he started down into the
valley ut n jog as brisk rs that Of the
third pinto. He was almost spent rs
he tottercd through the pines up the
last slope. The camp was gone, but
he knew the nearest way to the spring.
lie rested two or three minutes, re.
peatedly cooling his head In the spring
and rinslng out his mouth. but drink
Ing only u very few sips. Again re-
freshcd. he half filled his canteen, and
started on up the easy mountain slope
ut n steady jog.
Ten minutes brought him over the
summit to the sharp pitch above the
mine. lie stared down at the terrac,
several moments, however, before he
made out the figures of n man and
woman waiting ut the first urn oil
the trail. There could be no doubt
that the two were Marie and her fa,
Their.
II was no less certain that Wander
vyn had not yet arrived. Even had he
suspected his opponents s%tratagem. he
scarcely could have covered the sever
miles Of trail In as short n time aS
Hardy had taken TO make the three
miles across country.
The two watchers never thought e
look about and up the mountain. They
had not yet looked about when he
came down upon the crest Of the spur
\ large, newly cut stake gave him d
hint where one OF the upper corners
Uf the claim should be located. liz
cut his own stake, drove II, and tackled
on II of his legal notices. Another
stake Indicated the other upper corner
and he swiftly repeated the making
of his own stake and posting OF tn,
notice.
at the curb OF the mine shaft hC
posted another notice. He was now IL
plain view from the cabin. but out OF
sight of the watchers down on tn,
trail. On the terrace, as he was work
ils tle tHlTu Sluhe Iulo u Dtu VI iOoSt
rocks, he heard an angry exclamation
over near the cabin. Dupont and Mn
rie had come around the end OF tn,
building, aud were staring at him. II
n frenzy Of disappointed avarlce, tn,
trnder reached for his revolver. Still
more swiftly Marie flung herself upoI
him.
NO! no! you shall not !" she cried
leave il TO him-he Is so near! lie
them play out the game"
Hardy III across to cut his las
stake. Between the ax-blows could b,
heard the hoofbents Of n gallopini
horse. He tackled the notice on
chopped q small hole with his AK II
the hard soil, aud set II w. The min
was his own.
CHAPTER XXI.