The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, April 08, 1919, Page SEVEN, Image 7
1 UJuiOl/A 11 niiuu v)
THE Rl\
By EDNA
CHAPTER XIV.
(Continued From Last Friday
"From the water-tower." Mac-Lean's
voice split the wind. "The wires are
all down between the Crossing aud the
towns. Coronel was on the tower?lie
got the signal from the Heading?fce's
been there each night for a week!"
This was a great night?for his chief,
Gerty Hnrdin caught the thrill of
his hero-worship. How splendid, how
triumphant!
Innes found herself in her brother's
buggy. His horse, under the whip,
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
It back on its haunches, narrowly
averting a jam. "Where's MacLean?"
The boy rode back. "Who's call
Ing me?"
"Give me your horse." demanded
Hardin. "You take my sister home."
Gerty Hardin's party was lorn like
a bow of useless finery. Facing the
wind now, no one could talk; no one
wanted to talk. Each- was threshing
out Ms jwn thoughts; personal ruin
- stared them in the face. Every man
Was remembering that reckless e* j
posed cut of Hardin's; pinning tliefi j
hope to that ridiculed levee. The
horses broke into a reckless gallop,
the buggies lurching wildly as they |
dodged one another. The axles
creaked and strained. The wind tore
iway the hats of the women, rent
their pretty chiffon veils.
The dusty road was peopled with
dark formless shapes*. The signals
shad spread the alarm; the desert*
. world was flocking to the gorge of the
New river, tc the levee.
The women were dumped without
ceremony on the sidewalk, under the
screened bird cage of the- Desert
hotel. Shivering, her pre .y teeth
chattering, Qerty Hardin ushered
them Into tbe deserted hall. The
Chinese cook snored away his vigil in'
an armchair hy the open fire. The
men had rushed away to the levee.
"Women must wait," Gerty's laugh
was hysterlcah "We can do no good
down there." She threw herself, conscious
of heroineship, into the ordeal
of her spoilt entertainment.
It was always an Incoherent dream
to Innes Hardin, that wild ride homeward,
the lurching scraping buggies,
. the apprehensive silence, this huddling
of women like^ scared rabbits around a
taDie mat naa eise Deen gay. j.ji?
women's teeth shivered over the Ices.
Their faces looked ghastly by the light
shed* by Gerty's green shades, " She
wished she were at the levee. She
simply must go to the levee. "I'm going
to get a wrap," she threw to Gerty
as she passed. "I left it in the hall."
She stole through the deserted office,
past the white and silver soda
fountain, and out into the speeding
blur of the night.. Formless shapes,
soft-footed, passed her. As she sped
past the French windows of the dining
room she could get a view of the
shattered party.
Innes made a dive into the darkness.
There was a dim outline of hastening
Innes Made a Dive Into the Darkness.
figures in fropt of .her. She could
hear some one breathing heavily bjf
her side. They kept apace, stumbling,
occasionally, the moving gloom betraying
their feet. A man came running
back toward the town. "It's cutting
back!" He cried. "Nothing but the
levee will save the towns!**
The levee!
The harsh breathing followed her.
As they passed the wretched hut of a
Mexican gambler, a sputtering light
shone out. Innes looked back. She
saw the wrinkled face of CoroneU who
/ER.....
H AIKEN
>; M?r. um-jn-apw *THLx*r&-lmd
left lus water tower. His black
coarse hair was streaming in the
wind, his mouth, ajar, was expressionless,
though the fulfilment of the
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splotches of green and red
paint rested a curious dignity. The
Indian was to come again into his own.
What was his own, she questioned,
as her feet stumbled over loosened
boarding, a ditch crossing she had not
seen. More corn, perhaps more fiery'
stuff to wash down the corn! More
white man's money in the brown
man's pocket?that, his happiness.
Why should he not thank the.gods?
His gods were speaking! For when
the waters of the great river ran back
to the desert, the long ago outraged
goda were no longer angry. The towns
might go, but the great Indian gods
were showing their good will!
She joined a group at the levee,
windine her veil over mouth and fore
head. Dark shapes swayed near her.
The wind was making havoc of the
mad waters rushing down from the
channel. The noise of wind and waters
was appalling. Strange loud
voices came through the din, of Indians,
Mexicans; guttural sounds. Men
ran past her, carrying shovels, pulling
sacks of sand; lanterns, blown dim,
flashed their pale light on her chilled
cheeks.
Not even the levee, she knew then,
would save the towns. This was the
end.
CHAPTER XVOn
the Levee.
Hardin did not^go home that night
He was feeling to the quick the irony
of his position; his duty now to protect
the levee he'd ridiculed; now the
only hope of the towns! The integrity
of the man never faltered, though his.
thoughts ran wild. Like the relentless
hounds of Actaeon, they pursued him,
barking at his vanity.
He started the anxious ranchers at
j sacking sand. _ Bodefeldt ran up to tell
him that there was a hill of filled
sacks over In Mexicali. "Rickard had
a bunch of Indians working for n
week,"
The confusion of the shy fellow did
not escape Hardin. Oh, he knew what
Bodefeldt was thinking, what every
l une was saying! They were all laughing
at him. The coincidence of this
extraordinary flood had upheld Rickard's
wild guess, haloed his judgment.
It was all a piecfe of his infernal luck.
Sickening, that's what it was! His
orders scattered. He ran up and down
the levee, giving orders; recoiling
them when he found he was repeating
Rickard's.
This new humiliation, coming on the
heels of the dredge fiasto, put him in
execrable temper. He shouted his orders
over the nobes of the night. He
rated the men, bullied them. No one
did anything right! Lord, what he
had to put up with! <The other men,
the ranchers and engineers, saw In
his excitement certainty of the valley's
doom.
The wind and the darkness contributed
to the confusion. Eager
shovels were tossjng up earth before
anyone could tell where the danger
point would be. The water was not
yet high enough to determine the place
of battle. Sacked sand was Demg
brought over froii^Mexicalt. Fifty
pair of hands made short work of
Rickard's "hill." Lanterns were flashing
through the darkness like restless
fireflies. The wind and rushing water
deadened the sound of the voices. Itj
was a battle of giants against pyg-j
mies. In the darkness, the giants
threatened to conquer.
At three in the morning, a horseman
| rode in from *assett's, one 01 tne Dig
ranches to the north, cut by the New
river. % ^
"The river is cutting back," he
called through the din, "cutting back
toward the towns." # # I
A turn in the gorge, a careless
dump-pit had pulled the river like a
mad horse back on its haunches. It
was kicking back. . v
"They are short-handed up there.
: They need help.""Dynamite,"
cried Silent arid Har|
din antiphonally. They happened to
be standing near.
"We must have dynn'mite," bawled
tJnrdin. "Are the wires down between
h? re and Brawley? We must get a
j wire somehow to Los Angeles, to rush
it uown nere tnis morning. "It's
here. There is a carload on
! the siding," yelled Silent.
' Hardin did not need to ask by
i whose orders ^t was there. An angry
j scowl spoiled, his face. "Put
some on the machine." He
I was turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr.
Hardin think it was safe? There was
no road between the towns and Fasi
sett's. The night, the explosive?should
1 the.v not wait till morning? The <jues
tlon threw his late chief fnto a rage.
"Did I ask you to take it?" It was
the opening for his fury. "Safe! Will
the towns be safe if the river cuts back
here? The channel has got to be
widened, and you talk of your own
precious skin! Wait till I ask you to
take it. Get out the machine. I'll take
it to Fassett's myself."
Silent left the levee, smarting. He
backed the machine out of the shed
and sped through the darkness toward
MexicalL, where the car of explosives
was isolated.
Hardin, buttoned up to the ears, hia
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead,
was 'waiting impatiently. Here was
something to be done; he coveted th
activity.
"I thought you were never coming,"
he grumbled.
"Let me take it!" pleaded the engineer.
"Nonsense, there is no danger." Hardin
saw personal affection in the plea.
He iftt his hand affectionately on the
man's shoulder.
"You go home and catch a nap; this
is my job." He was standing on the
step. "Crank her."
There was nothing for Siler.t to do
but to get out, Hardin pointed the
long nose of the car into the darkness.
She was off like the greyhound she
suggested, missing a telegraph.pole by
half an inch.
"Who Is In charge here?" a woman's
*v<5ice was piercing the racke? of wind
and wave.
The dawn was breaking. Down the
New river he could see the wind whipping
the water.into whitecapped fury.
"Vicious," he muttered. "Those heavy
waves play the Old Harry with the!
levee."
"Where is my brother?"
"Miss Hardin!" cried Silent.
"Where is he?" demanded Innea
Her hair streamed away from her face.
Her cheeks were blanched. Her yellow
eyes, peering into the dusk, looked
owlish. Her wind-spanked skirts clung
to her limbs. To Silent she looked
boyfsh, as though clipped and trousered.
"Where is my brother?" she repeated.
Silent told her without reservations
where he had gone and why. There
was no feminlDe foolishness about
that sister of Hardin's. A chip of the
old block. . Funny, the men all thought
of her as Hardin's daughter on account
of the difference of age. As to
a comrade, proudly, he bragged of the
taking of the dynamite over that roadless
waste. <
"Whom did ne leave in ms piacer
' Silent knew, only, that he himself
was not In charge! Hardin had or
dered him to bed.'
"Maybe Mr. Estrada?" she hazarded.
"He Is not here, he went down the
road to look after the track. Hardin
went off in snch * hurry, I guess he
told nobody," chuckled the engineer
still glowing. ,
"Then I'm it!" cried Innes Hardin
**VU1 you take my orders, Silent?"
'Sure," he chuckled again. .
Through the rush of the wind and
water r.?rae the whistle of a locomotive.
"A special!" cried Silent. Hardin's
sister and his friend looked at each
other, the same thought in minds
Rickard, in from the Heading! '
On her face Silent saw the same
spectacular impulse which had flashed
over Hardin's features a-short time
before.
She put her hand on his arm. "Silent,
you're his friend. Straighten this
XX7 a nn n'f Ka?*a .V?lm rtATYin ho plz?.
vuii ?? c vau i ua*c miu wiut
jpylng?and find this." She waved her
land toward the disorganized groups.
"I'd take more orders," suggested
the engineer.
"Then send a third of them home,
tell them to come back tonight at six.
Send away the other third, tell them
to come back at noon. Keep the other
shift. Say you'll have coffee senl
from the hotel, tell them Hardin says
to stop wasting stuff. Tell them, oh,
tell them anything you can think of,
Silent, before he comes." Her breakdown
was girlish.
She could'hear the signal of the locomotive;
coming closer. Then she
could hear the pant of the engine as
it worked up the grade. It was a
sieuuy genue ciimu an ine wuy nuiu
the junction, two hundred feet below
eealevel, to the towns resting at the
level of the sea. It quickened hei
thought of the power of the river,
Nothing between it and the tracks a<
Salton. Nothing to stop its flow into
that spectacular new sea whose basin
did not need a drop of the precious
misguided flow. She could hear the
bells; now the train was coming intc
the station; she would not wait foi
Silent. She did not want to meet
Rickard. *
No one saw ?er as she left the levea
She passed Silent, who was Issuing oi>
ders. She heard him say, "The boss
su.vs so/
She took the road by the railroad
sheds, to avoid the dismissed shifts,
moving townward. . At full speed, she
collided with a man, rounding the
sheds' corner. It was Jlickard. Her
veil had slipped to her. shoulders and
he saw her face. *
"Miss Hardin!" he cxclaimed,
"Whatever are you doing here?"
"I was looking for ray brother."
"You ought not to be out at night
alone here."
"It's morning!'*"With
every Indian in the country
coming in. I'll send Parrish with
you."
Ciu- ? r?o MMt r,u Ktm
out; ruu>.>u uciuuu unu.
She tried to tell him that she knew
every Indian In Mexicall, every Mexican
in the twin towns,' but he would
not listen to her. "I'm not going to let
you go home alone." 1
She . blinked rebellion. at the supi
* _ * ~~
^ ii
She Collided With a Man. tl
j planter of her brotlierr But she found b
herself following Parrish. She took a a
j deep pride in her independence, , her ^
! fearlessness. Tom let her go where
j ehe liked. She had an impulse to dismiss
Parrish; every man' was needed, e
j but he would obey Rickard's orders. 0
MncLean had told her that! "They ;
! don't like him. but they mind him 1"
Rickard made hia way down to the =
levee. "Where is Hardin?" he asked
of every one he met. Silent came up
to explain that Hardin had gone up to
Fassett's just a few minutes ago to
carry dynamite. The river was cutting
back there. "Good," cried Rickard,
"that's bully!"
"He left me in charge," glibly lied
the friend of Hardin. "Any orders,
sir?" .
"Things are going all right?" began
the manager. He stopped. From
above came a dull |par. n.
"Dynamite!" cried Rlckard.
The friend of Hardin had nothing
to say. "I thought you said he went
only a few minutes ago-?" demanded
hls^chlef.
There was another detonation. Down
the river came fhe booming of the second
charge.
"That's dynamite for sure," evaded
Silent '
"Not a minute too soon!" declared
Rlckard, going back to his inspection. .
CHAPTER XVI.
Rlckard In Trvn..
The town woke to a matter-offact
day. The sensfetiBnal aspect of
the runaway river hod passed with
the night. The word spread that the
flood waters were under control; the
| men had gone home to sleep, so the
women got breakfast as usual, and
tidjed their homes. The Colorado was
always breaking out, like a naughty
child from school. Never would the
cry of "The River"! fail to drag the
vi ? -j * ~i 1,? r>.,+
uiuuu Hum tiicix tuccns. uut icu^i
always came; the threatened danger |
was always averted and these pioneer "
women had acquired the habit in swii _
reacticn.
Thai afternoon, Mrs. Youngborg wa |
to entertain at the ABC r:mch th |
ladles of the Improvement club. I i
was a self-glorification meeting, t< \
celebrate the planting of trees in th' j
streets of Calexico. and to plan th< ?
campaign of their planting. Mrs
Blinn drove into town to get Gertj
Hardin. Neither woman had seen he
husband since the interrupted drivi
the night before.
"I don't know whether I should go,1
Mrs. Hardin hesitated, her face turne<
toward the ABC ranch. "Perhaps
there is something we could do."
"I have just come from tne levee.Mrs.
Blinn's Jolly face had lost it
apprehension. "The water has no
risen an inch since breakfast. Most 0'
the men have been sent home. Wher
Howard didn't come home to lun<?h, )
grew anxious. But Mr. Rickard say.'
he sent him to Fassett's with mon
dynamite."
j "There he is," thrilled Gerty.
Mrs. Blinn's eye swept the street
"Where? Your husband?"
"No, Mr. Rickard. Passing the bank
There, he's stopped. I wonder if he h
going in? You call him, Mrs. Blinn."
Obediently her friend hailed Rick
ard. He turned back to the "windj
street. He felt boyish; the crisis was
giving him mercurial feet. He lovec
| the modern battle. Elements to pil
j one's brains against, wits againsl
| force!
Gerty Hardin's face was flushin:
I and paling. "The river," she faltered
i "Should we be alarmed, Mr. Rickard?'
Smiling, he assured her she should)
not be alarmed; the levees would pro
tect the towns.
"Mr. Hardin Is up at Fassett'i
ranch, he will be coming back today, j
I told your husband, Mrs. Blinn, t<
catch a nap and then relieve Mr. Har
din."
Gerty found a significance in hi.?
words. He had said "Mr. Hardin," and '
"your husband, Mrs. Blinn." It was \
enough to weave dreams around. :
"We can't do anything, Mr/ Rickard j
to help?" urged Gerty Hardin, hei ,
voice tremulous. ^
"I hope we won't have to call on you \
nt all."
There was no excuse to linger f \
Gerty threw a wistful little smile nl <
parting. . i
(To be Continued Friday.)
\
JEW ENGLAND MILLS *
WILL PAY FAIR PRICE
Shreveport, La., March 28.?Aserting
that Eastern mills will as
eadily pay a'high price for Southern
otton as a lower price, G. H. H.
ioule, of the Cotton Exchange deartment
of the Shawnut Bank of
toston, told members of the Louisina
Bankers' Association in session
ere tonight, that there is no reason
5 believe the proposed reduction in
creage in the South will decrease
lie output of the Eastern mills for
tie year. ""
"We must consider the fact that an
nmense portion of the 1918 crop is
et being hald," he said. "This left
ver crop is sufficient to make up
or the decrease in production from
tie farm; and yet so much of it belg
in the hands of the farmer with
lie cooperation of the Southern
ankers and merchants, he should be
ble to obtain a fafr price for. both
is 1918 and this year's crops.
New England cotton manufacturrs.
Mr. Soule said, are showme no
bjections to the proposed reduction
i Southern cotton acreage.
Pure Ice
Manufactured Undei
SOFT DRINKS Sol
CIGARETTES
- TOBACCOS P_,
CANDIES v v>0.
FRUITS We
CIGARS " theme
licit jt
Abbeville Ca
>' >/ ' j . .. ?** . C.
T ! 1 ?"5 r
FERTU
/
I represent the
Works, of Charlestc
hand a good stock,
hard to g<et a little la
in supplying your ne
ROBT.
i [grow big
S The demand the coming yeai
will far exceed that of any rec
The half-starved peoples of Europe ar
I ing. And the world is depending upo:
H V/xii Mnnnt raise a 1009& croD unless 1
a matter of balanced conditions of the
Potash must be present in the prop
be raised.
PLANTERS
DOUBLES'
because it contains available'Phospho
right proportions.
Every bag is stamped with our Giant
for your protection, and better place j
avoid delayed delivery.
Ask our agent in your town for infor
us direct. ,
Planters Fertilize;
v manuf;
A.W. CHARLESTON,
9
*
I
" * . 4 ' , . J+f
- V NOTICE - ^
' ? - 'i
Deputy Collectors Albert S. Fant
and A. H. Wells will be at Abbeville,
S. C., on Friday and Saturday, April .
4th and 5th, 1919, for the purpose * of
giving information to corporations '? ^ -M
officials in regard-io income tax returns
of corporations, which, returns
must be in the office of fhe Collector
not later than May 1st. It is regret- , w. ,.j
ted tjiat these deputies will not ^be
a?4
21U1C IU llidXVC l/Ub tiiC IVIUIIIO ???v vvj
corporations, foT the-reason that their
tim eis limited to undertake thia * -I
work. But they will cheerfully an- ?\i
swer to the best of their ability, all
questions relating to the application V j
of the law t<^ these forms. . > '
j. They will also be glad to receive . income
returns of afty individual tax- - -Hs
payer who -for any reason was un- .'
able to make his return before March
; 15th, when the time for filing returns
expired. .
Taxpayers are advised to seek out
these deputies and have them assist \
them in preparing the returnr Where
the delinquency was unavoidable, a &
statement in the form of an affidavit v-\ >
must be made ,and the total amount .
of the tax must.be paid. "" > / ,-i|S
Cream?
" Sanitary Conditions ^
t Drinks ahd
nfections.....
are prepared to serve yop is'
>st courteous manner and so- '
>ur patronage. ~ ' Zj
indyj (Kitchen
' ~
JZER3
Ashepoe Fertilizer
>n,S. C., and have on <
Fertilizers may be -.i
ter on, so don't delay
eds. ' - 7||
S. LINK. |
r for Cotton, Corn, Grain, etc.,5 I
.-ent years. H
e even nowcrying out for food *nd cloth
q the Fanner* of America to Supply it.
fou have a 100 % soil. Fertility is largely
soil. Phosphoric Acid, Ammonia, and H
icr proportions if bumper crops are to (B
f
FERTILIZER I
ITOUR YIELD I
ric Acid, Ammonia and Potash in the B
Lizard Trade-Mark. Look for it?it's Eg
'our order for Planter's right now and K.
mation, free advice, or prices, or write g
r & Phosphate Co. I1
VCTURERS J I
,y* Sf<-^?
* t
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