Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-01-09
CHAPTER XXI.
The Race.

HC flGSCs
The commissioners came down
from the agency barely in time to
make their Identification of the
contestants. Last of all Hardy
and Vandervyn identified them
selves and hurried over to the end of
the waiting line. There was a scant
five minutes remaining. Vandervyn
was a-quiver with eager excitement,
and made no attempt to conceal the
feet. He smiled and waved his hand
to the commissioners, and looked about
with sparkling eyes. There was no
anxiety or envy or malice in his look.
Never had he appeared handsomer or
more boyish.
The other commissioners had
climbed into the touring car. One of
them held up his watch. Another COM
missioner arose, thrust small pistol
above his head with a melodramatic
flourish, and fired.
At the signal the line of contestants
wavered and plunged forward into the
shallow stream. There were, however,
quite enough hasty ones to raise
wild splashing and turmoil, as, whoop-
ing and yelling, they spurred their po-
niess through the water and whirled
away at a gallop. Some wheeled up
the coulee; a few rode straight across
at the steep bank. Vanderyyn. Wild
est and noisiest of all, headed down
stream for the road, squirting his
pinto. He was followed by a large
bunch.
Hardy started after these last, hold
ing 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 a distance
ahead, with Vandervyn 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 tie
pees. But in the rear of the ware
house he caught glimpse of two In
dian policemen removing the load from
Vandervyn's pack pony. His face
clouded. he put the mare into gal
lop.
All the way to the head 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
yandervyn, the young fellow turned
ano met his gaze with look of mock
ing hate. HarTv glanced back sew
eral times, prepared TO fling himself
fiat alongside the ponmel of his sad
die lis uneaSineSs did not lessen
when few minutes later Vandervyn
halted, and scrambled down from the
trail to get a drink out of the creek.
The crease In Hardy's forehead deep
ened.
Ahead. the walls of the canyon were
SlopinS back into the widened valley
where had been the first Indian camp,
Dogs, Indians ard tepeeS, all were
gone. Only q 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 stroSed
the mares sleek neck. Hot as had
been the race from the agency. she
had not turned 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
as lightly as possible.
Ascending the mOunsainSide, he was
compelled 10 content himself with the
mares nervous. long-stride1 walk.
But whenever the trail was not 200