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t ??M?? " J.... j River j When the Colorado | Burst Its Banks and Flooded the Imperial ? .Valley California J BBanBOHU { i ' ? ' 'i Ku ? tEDNAH AIKEN S ? i" (Corrrlxtt Bobte-Umill Cooja*/.) SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I?K. C. Rlckard. an englMr of the Overland Pacific, 1b called to 0 office of President Marshali in TucfM, Alii. "Casey" Is an enigma to the Kilos force; he wears "dude" clothes, Nt ne nad resigned a chair of engineermg In the East to go on the road as a Irwin an and his promotion had been spec meuiar, while waiting for Marshall Rlckvi reads a report on the ravages of the Morado, despite the efforts of Thomas Hardin of tho Desert Reclamation comfuy. This Hardin had been a student pnr Rlckard and had married Gerty Holmes, with whom Rlckard had fancied ? Was In love. 9 CHAPTER II?Marshall tells Rlckard ? Overland Pacific has got to step in is save the Imperial Valley and sends Bin to the break. Rlckard declines because he does not want to supplant Hardin, but Is won over. "Stop the river; ioKiw tha ?YRAn?A_" iq.Vl lfarpSa l CHAPTER III?Rlckard Journeys to (Mexico, sees the Irrigated desert and earns much about Hardin and his work. CHAPTER IV?At the hotel he meets Ifr. and Mrs. Hardin and Innes Hardin, Bbrdin's half sitter. Disappointed In her husband and an Incorrigible coquette, an. Hardin sets her cap for her former < tavi?M ?????> tn dinner. CHAPm *."^-?i*;Kara visits tne company's offices and takes control. He finds the engineers loyal to Hardin and hostile to him. Estrada, a Mexican, son of the "Father of the Imperial Valley," tells Uxa of the general situation. CHAPTER VI?Rlckard attends a teeting of the directors and asserts his authority, , Hardin rages. Estrada tells Stickard of his foreboding that his work Ml fall. "I can't see It finished." CHAPTER VII?Innes Is discovered In hsrgarden. fihe tries to cheer up Hardin, Mo th -furious against Rlckard. CHAPTER VIII?A family luncheon of _ (he Hardlns -which throws light cn them. CHAPTER IX?Hardin discovers that RigUurd ^la planning a levee to protect Calexlco and puts him down as incom* poMM. Oerty thinks her lord Jealous. CHAPTER X-The Hardin dinner to ^ J * ? * .V. ,k. .K.. mUA4M(V( UJ?Oi wic vu?i ? notorieties. Hardin la surly and sulky. um la hardly polite. Gerty olana a "^a mni?I ii ii ride" in Rickard'a honor. Q9APT9B JCI?Rlckard encoun era tha of the company's englaem>&f%HVflthUrred by the Indian.!* state?? beat oat this is the hundredth rear of a cycle, whoa the Great Yellow .Oragon, the 'Co&oredo,' grows restless He makes SUImm preparations, ?pushes -work on ON .Cplexlco teres and ,1s ordered by pSAlii to "take a fighting cha-ice" on M' completion Of Hardin's pet project, {gate to shut the break In the river. CHAPTER XII?8an Francisco Is de(M/M br earthquake and fire, and dredge leiMBirT. which Rlckard Nad ordered injklp pare,shipped, la burned -.hrough urarif rrSgKjCt Rlckard secretly equips file bfc water tower as a signal station. CmOBR Xin?Gerty Hardin decides thsg,Bickard still loves her and plans a ' dasfcpslgh that promises trouble CHAPTBR XIV?Tha progressive rids fli aegun under adverse condition >?wind ?ad aust, with thaxaast of. honor absent Then Mac Lean, Rickard'a secretary, MgifNlnM that the river is raging and aery, man la,wanted on the levee. CHAPTER XV?Hardin motors <>S with a load of dynamite, leaving everything In1 tonCaftoa <m the levee. Innee, through a frtesrij* gnftaaor. ieeum order* to her brother0* name, to save her brother's too* StM ferae and the signal tower savt CbfexAooUU Rickard's return. CHAPTRR XVI?Gerty Hardin begins |D gat really Interested In Rlckartl. The jrW^hlovM^a 'gale and tha levee la in CHAPTBR XVII?Women as veil aa men work on the levee the second night. Ub? finds Rlckard tod Gerty together tod berths to suspect her sister-in-law. sr brother's wrongheadedness and Rickevident' efficiency only servs to eznMttsr limes against Rlckard. CHAPTER XVII I?The river washes eway half of Mexican. Calexlco's Mexleaa tWTtt "city, but Calexlco still stands. CHAPTER XIX?A stormy public meet1b# la held In which representatives of the settlers, the Overland Pacific and Mexico clMn. A telegram from Rlckard that the river has broken out again saves B big row tod forces united action i>jt all. CHAPTER XX?The scene shiftn from Catadco to the construction camp at the break In the river bank where Rlckard's forces are constructing Hardin's gate. In nee comes from Los Angeles to stay with the klardlns. Rlckard's revelation. CHAPTER XXI?Estrada gives Innesa K> viewpoint of her brother and RickQerty arranges for her family to gat in the mess tent and the two Hardlns understand why. CHAPTER XXII?Rlckard visits the Wane of Xaldonado, a house of mystery. CHAPTER XXTII?Gerty Hardin gets emission from Rlckard to direct Ling, the Chinese mess cook. Senora MaJdonado betrays her husband through Jealousy. CHAPTER XXIV?Ling says, "Woman She stay. Ling go." Rlckard sided with AWk and makes a bitter enemy of Gerty jbu-din. Hardin finds Senora Maldonado m Rlckard's tent CHAPTER XXV?Gerty hints to Innas ef disgraceful relations between Rlckard j sal the Mexican woman. Innes Is much j Mtoarbed, but thinks it is entirely beaana* ah* hates scandal. : CHAPTER XXVI?A time of great activity and anxiety?will Hardin's gate standT Gerty trie* to get her husband to report , the ^'scandal" to Marshall. He refuses and discovers he has lost his wife'r love. CHAPTER XXVII - Rickard escorts tnnes home from Marshall's private car; they find the Mexican woman in his tent, tnnes goes on alone, furious with Rickard. The Maldonado woman has come to tell fttckard of ber. husband's murderCHAPTER XXVIII?Inies is frightened by ths Maldonado murderer and runs to lUckard A great light bursis upon them both. Gerty Hardin watches thei CHAPTER XXIX?Godfrey, tht world famous tenor, comes to visit the camp. He and Gerty Hardin are mutually attracted. Gerty begins to see "a way out." CHAPTER XXX?The Hardin rate goes out CHAPTER XXXI?Spectacular strike of Om Indian tribes on the work. CHAPTER XXXII?Godfrey sings la &e moonlight with varying efTects t n various people. CHAPTER XXXIII-The final battle wftfc the Colorado. Why Estrada couldn't i M ?* CftlStL CHAPTER XXXIV?Godfrey and aerty CtttfTlA jaLXV-C?ay and Iniaa. ? 1 I up the bank toward the camp, Molly following. The river was humping out yonder; the rolling mass came roaring, flankon, against the dam. "Quick, for God's sake, quick!" j'elled Rickard. His signals sounded short and sharp. "Dump it on, throw , the cars in!" Marshal! was dancing, his mouth full of oaths, on the bank! edge. Breathlessly all watched the ; rushing water fling itself over the dam. ; For several hushed seconds the structure could not be seen. When the foam fell a cheer went up. The dam was standing. Silent, it was supposed, I was bringing in his train, j Above the distant jagged line of , mountains rose a red ball. A new day | began. And again the Dragon rose; a I ' mountain of water came rolling dam- J ward. Three trains ran steaming on the rails. "Don't stop now to blast the big ones. Pour 'em on!" ordered Richard. T!\ere was a long wait before any rock fell. Marshall and Rickard waitj ed for the pour. The whistles blew again. Then they saw what was j wrong. The morning light showed a rock weighing several tons which was resisting the efforts of the pressing crew. Out of the gloom sprang other figures with crowbars. The rock totj tered, fell. The river tossed it as though it were a tennis ball, sent it I hurtling down the lower face of the dam. Things began to go wild. The men were growing reckless. They were sagging toward exhaustion; mistakes were made. Another rock, as heavy as the last, was worked toward the edge. Men were thick about it with crowbars. They hurried. One concerted effort, drawing back as the rock toppled over the edge. One man was too slow, or too tired. He slipped. The watchers on the bank saw a flash of waving arms, heard a cry; they had a glimpse of a blackened face as the , foam caught It. The waters closed over him. There was a hush of horror; a halt "God himself couldn't save that poor devil," cried Marshall. "Have the work go on!" Pour rocks on that wretch down there?' Pin hijn down? Never bad It seemed more like war! "A man down? Ride over him! to victory!" Soberly Rlckard signaled for the work to go on.. The rock-pour stuttered as If in horror. The women turned sick with fear. No one knew who It was. Some poor Mexican, probably. 1 "Who was It?" demanded Rlckard, running down to the track. "The young Mexican, Hestrada. 'E tried to 'elp. 'E wasn't fit.? "Who was It?" Marshall had run down to see why the work paused. Rlckard turned shocked eyes on his chief. "Estrada!" The beautiful mournful -eyes of Eduardo were on him, not Marshall's, horrified. Now he knew why Estrada had said, "I can't see It finished1." * "Rlckard!" The engineer did not recognize the quenched voice. "The work has got to go on." It came to Rlckard as he gave the orders that Eduardo was closer to Marshall than to him. "As near a son at hell ever have." He turned a minute later to see his chief standing bareheaded. His own cap came off. "We're burying the lad," said Marshall. The minute of funeral had to be pushed aside. The river would not wait. Train after train was rushed on to the trestles; wave after wave hit them. But perceptibly the dam was steadying. The rapid fire of rock was telling. Another ridge of yellow waters rose. The roll of water came slowly, dwindling as it came; it broke against the trestle weakly. For the first time the trestle never shuddered. Workers and watchers breathed as a unit the first deep breath that night. There was a change. Every eye was on the river where it touched the rim of the dam. Suddenly a chorused cry rose. The river had stopped rising. The whistles screamed themselves hoarse. And then a girl, sitting on the bank, saw two men grab each other by thq hand. She was too far away to hear their voices, but the sun, rising red through the banks of smoke, fell on the blackened faces of her brother and Rlckard. She did not care who saw her crying. CHAPTER XXXIV. A Desertion. When the afternoon waned and Godfrey did not call on 'her Gert> was roused to uneasiness. Had she angered him by refusing to make the definite promise? Could it be love, the sort of love she wanted, if he could stay away like this when they could have the camp to themselves, every oue down at the break, no Hardlns running in evsry minute? Their first chance and Godfrey slighting It! He would surely come that evening, knowing that she would be alone! The little watch Tom had gi^en her for an almost forgotten birthday sci the pace for her resentment. Nine, ten, eleven! How dared he treat her so? She blew out the lamps when she found that she was shaking with anger and undressed in the dark. She could not see him, if he came now. her self-control all gone! But she could not go to bed She stood in her darkened tent, shaken by her angry passions. Suppose that he were only trifling with her? What was that paper he had in h or honfl V W1 th n no nHlo UirUVl *1* "V* ?? ? ? ?.uuva?vi she found the yellow paper. It was a copy of a telegram to Godfrey's lawyer. "fctart divorce proceedings at Mice. Any grounds possible. Back too*. Godfrey." questioning, not quite sure of her. She had worried him yesterday because she would not pledge herself to marry him If he sued for his divorce. She had told him to ask her that after the courts had set him free. She could not have him sure of her. An exclamation from him recalled her. She found that he was no longer staring at her; his eyes were fixed on (he trembling structure over which a I "battleship," laden with rock, was creeping. "I want to stay with you, you know thnt dearest. But it doesn't feel right to see them all working like niggers and me loafing here. You don't mind?" Oh, no, Gerty did not mind! She was tired, anyway! She was going back to her tent! He thrust a yellow paper into her hands. "I sent that off today. Perhaps you will be glad?" She flung another of her Inscrutable smiles at him, and went up .the bank, the paper unread in her hands. The long afternoon wore away. They were now dynamiting the largest rocks on the cars before unloading them. The heavy loads could not be emptied quickly enough. Not dribbled, the rock, but dumped simultaneously, else the gravel and rock 'might be washed down stream faster than they could be put together. Many cars must be unloaded at once; the din on Silent's train was terrific. His crew looked like devils, drenched from, the spray which rose from the river each time the rock-pour began; blackened by the smoke from the belching engine. The river was ugly in its wrath. It was humping itself for Its ,flnal stand against the absurdity of human Intention; Its yellow tail swished through the bents of the t\?stle. The order came for more speed. Rickard moved from bank to raft; knee deep in water, screaming orders through the din; directing the gangs; speeding the rock trains. Hardin oscillated between the levee and dams, taking orders, giving orders. His energy was superb. It had grown dark, but no one yet had thought of the lights, the great Wells' burners stretched across the channel. Suddenly, the lights flared out brightly. Not one of those who labored or watched would ever forget that night The spirit of recklessness entered even into the stolid native. The men of the Reclamation forgot this was not thnlr ontnrnrt?A? tha Hardin faction jumped to Richard's orders. The watchers on the 'bank sat tense, thrilled out of recognition of aching muscles, or the midnight creeping chill. No one would go home. To Innes, the struggle was rested in two men, RIckard running down yonder with that light foot of his, and Hardin with the fighting mouth tense. And somewhere, she remembered, working with the rest, was Estrada. Those three were fighting for the Justification of a vision?an Idea was at stake, a hope for the future. RIckard passed and repassed her. And had not seen her I Not during those hours would he think of her, not until the idea failed, or was triumphant, would he turn to look for her. Visibly, the drama moved toward Its climax. Before many hours passed the iirer would be captured or the Idea forever mocked. Each time a belching engine pulled across that hazardous trock It flung a credit to the man-Side. Each time the waters, slowly rising, hurled their weight against the creak-' Ing trestles where the rock was thin, a point was gained by the militant river. Its roar sounded like the last cry of a wounded animal in Innes' ear; the Dragon was a reality that night as it spent its rage against the shackles of puny men. Molly Silent had seen her husband's train pull In. She watched for it to go out again. The whistle blew twice. ; Something was wrong. She left her , place In time to see iSllent, his face shining ghastly pale under the soot, pull himself up from the "battleship" i w /SrSSai "God, Man, You Can't Go Like That!" where he had been ledning. Estrada, sent by Rk'kard to And out why the train did not pull out, saw him the same instant as did Molly. Silent swayed, wnvlng them back unseelngly, like a man who is drunk. "God, man, you can't go like that I" cried Estrada. UirL.I. t Li. "Y1I1V9 ?Ulug I ucuiuuucu on till., ui? tongue thick with thirst and exhaustion. The whistle blew again. MI will!" The train moved out oa the trestle, as the whistle blew angrl^ twice. Only Molly and Silent saw trade go. Silent staggered unseeing 1/ * fell away. He could see now the step ahead that bad been taken; the "last trestle was done; the rock-pouring well on; he called that going some I He felt rleasantly languid, but not yet sleepy. His thought wandered over the resting camp. And then Innes Hardin came to him. Not herself, but as a soft little tliniifht n*M/*h rnmo nrppninc flrOUIld the corner of his dreams. She had been there, of qourse, all day, tucked away in his mhid, as though in his home waiting for him to come back to her, weary from the pricks of the day. The way he would come home to her, please God, some day. Not bearing his burdens to her, he did not believe In that, but asking her diversions. Contentment spread her soft wings over him. He fell asleep. Rickard wakened as to a call. What had startled him? He listened, raising himself by his elbow. From a distance, a sweet high voice, unreal in its pitch and thrilling quality, came to him. It was Godfrey, somewhere on the levee, singing by the river. It brought him again to Innes Hardin. He pulled aside his curtain which hung over the screening of his tent and looked out into a moon-flooded world. Rickard's eyes .fell on a little ti?nt nwr vernier n white shrine. "White as tlyt fine sweet soul of hers r Wandering Into the night, Godfrey passed down the river, singing. His voice, the* footlights, the listening great audiences w;ere calling to him. To him, the moon-flooded levee, the glistening water, made a star-set scene. He was treading the Boards, the rushing waters by the bank gave th$ orchestration for his melody?"La Donna e Mobile." He began It to'Qerty Hardin; she vtould hear It In her tent; she would take It as the tender reproach he had teased herewith that afternoon in the ramnda. He gave for encore a ballad long forgotten; he had pulled It back from the cobwebs of two decodes; he had made it his own. "But, my darling, you will be, Ever young and fair to me." TA. * K ? ciaahIMM f A TAIH 11 V.UU1C, lilt; BUUUUg IU11C) 11/ 1VUI Hardin, outside Oerty's tent on his ioftely cot. He knew that song. Disdained by his wife, a pretty figure a man cuts! If his wife can't stand him, who can? He wasn't good enough for her. He was roggh. His life had kept him from fitting himself to her taste. She needed people who could talk like Rickard, sing like Godfrey. People, other people, might misconstrue her preferences. He knew they were not flirtations; she needed her kind. She would always keep straight; she was straight as a whip. Life was as hard for her as It was for him; he could feel sorry for her; his pity was divided between the two of them, the husband, the wife, both lonely in their own way. On the other side of the canvas walls, Gerty Hardin lay listening to the message meant for her. The fickle sex, he had called hers; no constancy in woman, he had declared, fondling her hair. He had tried to coa* her Into pledges,'pledges which were also disavowals to the man outside." Silver threads! Age shuddered at her threshold. She hated that song. Cruel, life had been to her; none of Its promises had been kept. To be happy, why, that was a human's birthright; ?/mh n- thof ?r?in hpr creed! There was a chance yet; youth had not gone.! He was singing It to hfer, her escape? "Darling, you will be. Brer young and fair to me." Godfrey, singing to Gerty Hrrdin, had awakened the camp. Innes, in her tent, too, was listening. "Darling, you will be, Ever young and fair to me!" So that Isthe "miracle,, that wild rush of certain feeling! Yesterday, doubting, tomorrow, more doubts?but tonight, the song, the night Isolated them, herself aqd Rickurd, into a world of their own. Lfte with him on any terras she wanted. CHAPTER XXXIII. The Battle In the Night. Gathering on the bank were the camp groups to watch the last stand of the river against the rock bombardment. Molly Silent had crept down from the Crossing, full of fears. Out there, somewhere on the trestles, on one of those rock cars, was her Jim. She sat on the bank by Innes and Mrs. Marshall. Mrs. Hardin, floated by In her crisp muslins. A few feet behind stalked Godfrey, his eyes on the pretty figure by his side. Innes turned from his look, abashed as though she had been peering through a locked door. Gayly, with a fluttering of ruffle* Gerty established herself on the bai n trifle out of hearing distance. A hard little smile played on the lips accented with Parisian rouge. The childish expression was gone; her look accused life of having trifled with her. Hut they would see? "Don't look so unhappy, dearest.'' whispered the man at her side. "I'm going to make you happy, dear!" She flushed a brilliant, finished smile at him. Yes, she was proud of him. He satisfied her sense of romance, or would, later, when she was away from here, a dull pain pricking at her. deliberate planning. Godfrey found her young, young and distracting. Ills life had been hungry, too; the wife, up there in Canada somewhere, had never understood lvira. Godfrey was ambitious, ambitious as she was. She would be his wife; she would see tho cities of the world with him, the welcomed wife of Godfrey; she would hare the plaudits his wonderful voico won. Hifl tjea were on her now, she knew, f4 -i "Call thelc bluff," grinned Casey, showing teeth tobacco had not had a chance to spoil. _ "Boycott them." MacLean found Wooster at the riverbank with Tom Hardin. The two men were watching a pile-driver-set a re* ,)ft\ 0 j . He Found Wooster at the River Bank. belllous pile. Two new trestles were to supplement thfe ong which had been bent out of line by the welclfc of set tling drift. Marshall's plun was being followed, though Jeered at by reclamation men and the engineers of the D. i R. company. ? ' "Stop the mattress weaving and dump like hell!" had been his orders. I "Boycott the Indians, well I'm blowed," the'beady, eyes sparkled at I Hardin. "Now he's cut his own I throat." ! "By the eternal I* swore Hardin. ' MacLoanJeft the two engineers matching oaths. Tfctere was an ominous qOiet the next day. Not an Indian offered to work at the river. A few stolid bucks came to I their tasks on Tuesday morning; they I wero told by Rlckard himself that I there was no work" for them. . RJckard i appeared Ignorant of tb? antagonism of the engineers. An unfathered rumor started" that Rlckard was in with the Reclamation Service meh ; that he wanted the work to'fail; to be adopted by the Service. MacLean broke a lahce or t+ro against the absurd slander. He was making tne discovery that a lhan'r friendship for a man may be deeper than* man's love tot a wofnan. He was'a Rlckard "?? woo mod# *r? fp?i the re proach of It. Wednesday not an Indian reported. Coronet passed from camp to camp, bis advice unpopular. Scouts sent out to watch the work on the river report-1 ed ft was crippled. The white man would be sending "for the Indian soon. The waiting braves sat on their Haunches, grinning and smoking their pipes. Saturday night the camp went' gloomily to bed. On the Indian side there was no revel, no feasting or dancing. RTckard did not turn In until after midnight, planning alternatives. He was sleeping hard when MacLeon, at dawn, dashed into his tent. "Quick, what does this .mean?" It was a splendid -kpectade, and staged superbly. For background,1 the j sharp-edged mountains flushing to pinks and purples against a one-hued sky j the river-growth of the old channel uniting them, blotting out miles of desert luto a flat scene. On the op-' poslte bank of the New river, five hundred strong, lined up formidably, their faces grotesque and feroclons with paint, were* the seven tribes. The sun's rays'glinted up from their flrearms, shotguns, revolvers, into a motley of defiance! Cocopahs, with streaming hair, blanketed Navajos,' short-haired Pimas. those in fropt reining in their silent pinto ponies, and all motionless, silent in that early morning light "What does it mean?" whispered MacLenn. RIckard did not answer. He Had one nauseous instant as he looked toward Innes' tent. Then he broke into laughter. . "See, the white horse, no, In front?" "By jovf," MacLean slapped his thigh. "Coronel! They had me buffaloed. What do you thiDk it Is?" RIckard stepped out into the wash of morning air and waved a solemn 1 salute across the? river. Gravely it was recurnecj by Coronel. "What does it mean?" demanded MacLean. "It means we've won," chuckled hli I chief, coming back Into his tent An hour later Coronel led in a picked uroup of the tribes. If the white chief would recall the boycott the Monday strike was over. The white man's silver had won. ruiAPTER XXXII. The White Night. "Lord, I'm tired," groaned Rlckard, stumbling into camp, wet to the skin. "Don't you say letters to me, Mac I'm going to bed. Tell Ling I don1| ! want any dinner. He'll want to fusi j up something. I don't want to set ! food." The day, confused and Jumbled, i burned across his eyeballs; a turmoil | of bustle and hurry of insurrection. H< | had made a swift stand against that He was to be minded to the last man jack of them, or anyone would go, hit threat Including ine engineer*, suenc Irish, Wooster, Hardin himself. Thii was no time for factions, for leada ! feeling. 1 la bed* the daj with Its Irritation him P There was a stab as of physical pain; she was visualizing the blow /'? She heard Marshall's voice, speakIng to Rlckard. "Well, yoo're ready * tor thl3." She did not hear the answer, for already Rlckard was heading Riekard Waa Headlnfl for the By-Paae. for the by-pass. Marshall and the young engineers followed him. To Innes that wreck down yonder ? was worse than failure; it was ruin. j It involved Tom's life. It was his life. ;U This would be the final crushing of his superb courage?her thoughts released from their paralysis ware whipped by sudden fear. She must find him, be with him. The next instant she was speeding toward the encampment Estrada met her on the ran. Had Gerty heard? The pity that _ she must know! She would not he ten* der to Tom; her pride wotild be wounded. &he must ask her to be ten* der, generous. Her footsteps slackened as she came in eight of the tents. [ She beard voices in the ramada, a man's clear notes mingling with Gerty's childish treble. "Godfrey 1" Her mind jumped to other tetenT-tetes. Of course I So that was what was going on. And she not seeing*! If not one man, then another! Horrid little clandestine affairs 1 The meeting was awkward. Speedily Innes gqt rid of thenews. Mrs. Hardin shrtgged. < "I believe 111 go out." Plaintively, she made the announ cement, as though it were just evolved. "Now, the camp will be ttor- f * rid. Everybody will be cross and everybody will be working." I Ml XXO OMV V bMV VVM V MBM.wv J could bear the rfhrant voice of God- A frey persuading Mrs. Hwdin to stay there a tew weeks longer*-' She could hear him say, "This will delay the turning of the river at the most but a few ^H| weeks. Rlcka-d told me so a week ago. PP And -;*itnk what it wotild be here with* out you!" "They were all expecting it P resisted Innee Hardin. She turned back td- <T ward the liter. Sh? must find Tom. CHAPTER XXXI. ' A Sunday Spectacle. Trouble with the tribei wks well grown before It was recognized. Disaffection was rlpei the bucks wefre ; heady, the white man's sliver acting like wine. Few of the braves bad dreamed of ever possessing sums of money such as they drew down each Sunday morning. Rickflrd began to suspect liquor again. In the Indian / camp Sunday was a day of feasting, followed by a gorged sleep; the next day one of languor, of growing lncoheslou. Rlckard spoke of It to Coronel. "Like small baby," hunched the old shoulders. "Happy baby. Pretty soon stop." With the next wages went a reprimand, then a warning. Still followed f bad Mondays. Rlckard then Issued a formal warning to all the tribes. "The situation with the Indians Is serious," said Rlckard to MacLeau. "xney re geiuug uquur iu line, ovuiT way, the Lord only knows how. Anyway, they're not fit for burning Monday morning. I've just sent them word by Coronel that It's got to quit, or they s ' do." | "Suppose they do?" MacLean was startled. Not an Indian could be spared at that stage of the game." "Bluff I" Rlckard got up. "They won't take the chance of losing that money. I'm off now to the Crossing. I'll leave you In charge here." The next morning Wooster broke Into the rainada where MacLean sat clicking his typewriter. "Everything's up. Rlckard's dono it now. Sent some all-fired, Independent kindergarten orders to the Indians.' Says they have to be In bed by ten o'clock, or some such hour on Saturday and Sunday nights. It's a strike, their answer. That's what his monkeying has brought down on us." "They're not going to quit?" "They've sent word they won't work * on Mondays, and they will go to bed when they choose Saturday nights. ^ Losing ono day a week! We can't j stand for that. Luck's been playing A Kia imnils hnt this will show him up. Thls'll show Marshall his pet clerk. Tell Casey there'll be no Indians tomorrow." He sputtered angrily out of the office. Rlckard seemed pleased when Mao Lean made the announcement a few uo^o liter. ? . \ His secretary was welfhlnff him. "What do you intend to do about ltr