The Dillon herald. (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, April 24, 1919, Page Page Two, Image 2
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River j
When the Colorado |
Burst Its Banks and
Flooded the Imperial ?
.Valley California J
BBanBOHU
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tEDNAH AIKEN S
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(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