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About The Times-herald. (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1919)
S" . ..I I v2k Jm'W 'wXwM vHi I V Jul J a jl wfj wraLWMWSI CHAPTER XVI. Rickard in Town. Tho town wnko to a nmttor-nf-fnot day. The sensational aspect of the runaway river hud pnssod with tho night. The word spread that the flood waters were under control ; thftt tho men had ;'''no honm to sleep, j.t tho women not breakfast as tisunl, and tidied their homes. The Colorado wan always breaking out, like a naughty Child from KhOOl, Never would tho cry of "The river!" fall to drug the Mood from their cheeks. Hut relief always came; the threatened danger whs always averted, and thexe pioneer women had acquired the habit 01 swift reaction. That afternoon, Mrs. Youngherg was to entertain nt the A B 0 ranch the Indies of the Improvement club. It was a self-glorification meeting, to celebrate the planting of trees In the streets of Oalexlco. and to plan the campaign o their planting. Mrs. Hlln.i drove Into town to get Gerty Hardin. Neither woman had Been her husband sine the Interrupted drive the ir!ght before. "I don't know whether I shnu'd go." Mrs. Hardin hesitated, her fuce turned toward the ABO ranch. "Perhaps there Is something we could do." "I have just come from the levee." Mrs. Hlinn's Jolly face had lost Its apprehension. "The water has not risen an Inch since breakfast. Most ot the men have been sent home. When Howard didn't come homo to lunch, I grew anxious. Hut Mr. UK Kurd says he sent him tot Fassett's with more dynamite." "There he Is." thrilled Oerty. Mrs. niinn's eye swept the street. "Where? Your husband?" "No, Mr. Rickard. I'asslng the hank. There, he's stopped. I wonder If he Is going In? You call htm, Mrs. Minn." Obediently her friend hailed Kiek ard. He turned hack to the windy street. He felt boyish ; the crisis was giving him mercirrlnl feet. He loved the modern battle. Klements to pit one's brnins against, wits against force ! Gerty Hardin's face was flushing and paling. "The river," she fullered. "Should we be alarmed, Mr. Itlcksrd?" Smiling, he assured her she should not be alarmed; the levees would pro tect the towns. "Mr. Hardin Is up at Fassett's ranch, he will be coming back today. I told your husband, Mrs. Hlinn, to catch a nap and then relieve Mr. Har din." Gerty found n significance In his words. Ho had said "Mr. Hardin," ami "your mishand, Mrs. Hlinn." It was enough to weave dreams around. "We can't do anything, Mr. Rickard, to help?" urged (Jerty Hardin, her voles tremulous. "I hope we won't have to cull 00 you of nil." Tin re was no excuse to linger. Gerty threw n wistful little smile at parting, TER. EDNAH AIKEN 5 mrooaaoffERMu. cost?? what you think of me!" What indeed did she think of It? Why Should she feel like the culprit before these two, her words desert ing her? It was Geity's look that made her feel guilty, iih though IBS wTfcai -fix t) , J cREBtf? a. Tijfyre t.'w Y EsLw' mmrWm TwM m fjiilwiwlllfl KilffiS Rickard Was With Her Sitter.in.i.w. hail been spying. To meet them to gether, here at midnight, why should not they feel nshamed? She had done nothing wrong. And Tom down yon der lighting and they make his ab sence u cover for their rendezvous. "I'm looking for Sam!" The effort behind the words turned them into an oratorical challenge. "So lire we. 1 want to send him home with Mrs. Hardin. She's worn out." "She ran go home with mo. 1 tint go ing directly. As soon as 1 Rive a mes sage to Sam." She Instantly regretted her words, abruptly halting. It came to her that Itlckard would Insist upon delivering her message. Of course, he would oppose her going. Some petty reason or other. She knew from the men that he was oppositional, that ho liked to show his power. Not safe, he would say, or the horse was needed, or Sain too busy to wait on her! "You cannot go homo alone, you two. Tin' town Is full of strange In dian'. Give me your lantern. Miss CHAPTER XVII. Opposition. The second night of tho flood, the Woman of the towns dragged brush and filled sacks for the men to carry. It was past midnight when Innes Har din left the large. While her feet and lingers Had tollor, her mind had been fretting over Torn. Two nights, and no rest II was told Iiy men who came down the river how Hardin was hero ically laboring. She yearned to go to him ; perhaps he would Ktiji for n few hours to her entreaty. Hut an uncer tain trail across mn(ry, with the liist-lnlen wind In her face? She de cided to wslt forthedawn. A snatched Bleep first, but who would call tier? She would sleep for hours, so weary very muscle. Her mind fixed on Hnra ns the only man In town who had time to sndd.'e a horse for a woman. She went In search of him. She found that the long adobe office build ing had already taken on the look of lefeal, of ruin. The casements had been torn from the partitions; the doors and windows were out. The fur niture had been hauled up to high ground farther away for safety. She went hunting through the ghoulish gloom for the rinrky. turning her Isn tern In every dark corner. She knew that she would find him sleeping Then she heard steps on the veranda. She rsn toward them, expecting to see Jsara. She swung her lantern full on two figures mounting the shallow eleps. Itlckard was with her sister-In-law. "Oh. excuse me!" she blurted blun deringly. Of course Gerty would lake a wrong Intention from the Stupid words ! The blue ryes met those of Innes With dellance. It ws as though she bad spoken : "Well, think what you Kill, of It, you HsrdlnsJ I don't care (tebelliously she gave him the lan tern. The light turned full on her averted angry eyes. A haughty Tlnr nolda followed him. Sam was discovered asleep In tin only room where the windows had not yet been attacked. His bead rested on it bundle of sacked trees which the ladles of tin' Improvemenl clnb had planned to plant the next day. Keep snores betrayed bis n luge. "Here, Sam! I want you to take these ladles home. Chase yourself. They've been working while you've Slept, i thought you'd have all these windows out by now." Gerty bad to supply the courtesy for two. She told Mr. Kiekard In her ap pealing way that he had been very kind ; that she "would have been frightened to death lo go home alone." Innes bad to say something! "Good iitgbt !" The words had an Insulting ring. The wind covered a passlomile si lence, as the two women, followed by Sam, yawning and st retelling, made their way down the shrieking si root. "It was tnu-," Innes was thinking. She had at last stumbled at? the rout, hut It wns not a mailer of personal, but moral untidiness; nol a carclesNiiess of pins or plates, of tapes or dishes. It wns far worse; a slackness of ellilcs. It meant more unhnppincMs for Tom. Her aching muscles told her Hint she could not have slept four hours when the darky was back, knocking at her door. Innes' horse loped through Hie silent Itreeta, "I'll run past the levee; perhnps Tom has come hack." II occurred to her thst there might be a message at i the hotel. She pulled on her left rein, sod swept past the deserted sdobe. Aa she reined in her horse, Kiekard stepped Ml on the sidewalk. He, too, was hesvy-eyed from a snatched nap. "Were you look It g for me?" The scorn In the girl's fare told hhu thai his question was stupid. For him! "Has my brother come back?" He said he did nol know. "You can see I have been drenniiiig!" She would nol smile back at him, hul rode oil toward the levee. Wus this the river? West of the levee, a sea of muddy water spread over I In' land. 'I bete . n l yet R e'i to save tli' tOWnM, the town, slie ml'- reeled herself, as her eye fell on tha Mexican village cross the ditch, Fof Meslcall was doomed. Some of the mud hills had already fallen; the wa ler was running close lo the slallon house. She saw Wooatar standing near, onl cuiaiiug (he distance, the time, per haps, before the new station would go. She hailed Wooster. Huln was pre saged In the lines of his forehead. "Pretty bad?" she cried. He shook his head. "Is Tom back?" "lie's over there, now. Fighting llko nil possessed, He'll work till he drops." Wooster was prOUd of Hint method, "We aii know Tom I" Her pride sprang up. "Hul he's got to stop for a while. I'm going up nfler him." "Not if my name's Woostor. I'll go. He'll mind me." She watched Hie OoWlng river, swol len wiiii wreckage, s'h- saw, with comprehension, a section of a fence; souieboil R l roi cone. There was a railway tie. anoiber! The river was eating Up KsJI'lldu'l lieu roadbed? A cry broke Irom her ns u raesqUII on the cnrTc 'orcil tide milghl on a buried ansa. The current twirled dan gerously around it. Instantly, the wa ter ime toward Ibe top ol ilie levee. Men iiiuie ruining to pry e ui.v the tree, a minute Inter, n wi dancing down the stream. They i H d the bunt against the pi'esslnji tapping waves. There, the irea ban struck again. Tin v ran down the ion e with their long poles, (Such time thai hap pened, i. nic- tin- obstruction were swiftly dislodged, she knew it meant an iitttncio! full somewhere, a quick scouring oul nl ii hanneL The men were working like silent purls ol a big machine; the confusion oi the tirst nielli wns gone. I'rom their fares one would no guess that their lortiiiios, their hi es, hung on Ibe subduing ot that Inili Itnhle force which bad not yet kno u defeat, which lutil lurtlea hack c"' ..r .11 COttgUlstndor, All, there v. lb, lurking fear ol l ! Vic tory Still lay to Its credit; the other column a -i- blank. She : ..' Wooeti r coming toward her. Hi- snapping black eyes shot out sparks ! anger. "He won't let me go." "Who won't lot you?" nut she knew. "Cagey. Says he'll send some one else. 1 said us nobody else'd make llnrdln stop. lie sold as that wss up to Hardin." Ot course, he wouldn't let Wooster go! "Orders me to bed." spnt Woostor. "Wonder why ho didn't order gruel, too. It's spite, antagonism to Hardin, Bed." "Orders Me to that's What It Is!" She believed that, too. Tom was right. Itlckard did take advantage of his authority. She did not see Iticknrd until he stood by her side. "I'm sorry ngl to spare Wooster, Miss Hardin. Hut there's stiff work ahead. He's go! to be ready for a cull. If Hardin Insists on spoiling one good soldier, that's his affair. 1 can't lei him spoil two." Wooster shrugged, and left them. "Spoiling good soldiers!" "I'm- taken Bodefeldl off duty, i told him to relieve Hardin." Bodefeldl who blushed when anyone looked al him I He would be aboul iih persuasive to Tom ns a veil to II des ert wind! She turned nwny, but not before Itlckard saw again Mini trans forming anger. I lor eves shone llko topazes In sunlight. She would not trust herself to speak. Wooster wns waiting for her. Iticknrd could hejir tho mo ii repeat. "I'm sorry, Miss Har din. It's an outrage. That's whm It is." Queer, they couldn't see that It was Hardin's fault; Hardin who was up the river lighting like a melodramatic hero; fight lug without cnutlon or re serve, denmrsllxlng discipline; he couldn't help admiring the bulldog en ergy, himself. Thst was what all these men sdored. He'd clenched the girl's snlagonlsm, now, for sure! How her eyes hud flashed at him I Hello I There was a tree floating down toward the stnt Irin house. . . . "Bring your poles!" be yelled. CHAPTER XVIII. The Passing of the Wstsrs. Habcock came rushing down from I.os Angeles thai morning to see what In I bonder It was all about. He asked every one he mcl why some one didn't get busy and slop the cutting back of that river? Tbore was no one ut the ich iV IP. I. I to ..one Hnb- oo'icch oT 'Iho roth) III m ! by, the building WO I di hi il cd. OgllVle't tellers bail prnphe ,, I ruin. II all looked wrong to him, lin ing on lo tho levee, hi met Mad. cm, Jr., who was coining away. The boy told him vnggely Unit he would find Klt-kiird around there, somewhere. "I'll hunt him up for you." ."Why, they nre letting II get ahead of them I" BabCOCk's manner sug gested thai he was aggrieved thii carelessness, to his revered co should go unpunished, Bomethl told Mnclciiii, might have been before the situation got us b thill Ills excited strldo carried across the dividing ditch, WhlC was carrying BO water. Into Mo Macican had to lengthen his keep pace with hllu. Tho havoc to the Mexican village excited cock still more. Hetrada, Just in from his submerged trucks, was lounging against an adobe wall. Ills pensive gaxo was turned up stream. Tha poatara of exhaustion suggested IlislnesH tO Habcock, who I was on the hunt for responsibility, lie i was more than ever convinced tiiat the right thing was not being done. "Bstruda !" Kstradn took his eyes from the river. Babcock looked llko a snapping ter rier taking the ditch at a bound. Mac i .in ii. jr.. n ill lie greyhound, followed. "What the devil are you doing to stop llji'?" A nervous hand indicated tin- Mexican station gleaming In Its fresh coat of paint; to the muddy wa ter undermining Its foundation. Fstrada drew u cigarette out of his DOCkel ; lighted It before answering. "Not a Iblng. What do you sug gest?" A big wave struck the bank. The car on tin- siding trembled. "Another wave llko that and Ihut enr'll go over." cried Habcock, Jump ing, mud. "Why don't you do some thing? Why don't you hustle all of you?" Ho would report this Incompe tency. Down the stream came s mass of debris, broken tlmliers. mvngod brush, a wrenched fence ot, a chicken coop. A red hen, clinging to Its swaying siiip. took the rapids. "Hustle what?" murmured p.m. tradn. Habcock glared at him, then nt the river. His eye caught the approach Ing wreckage. Men came running with their pole. The caving bnnk wns too far gone. The Instant the drift lug mass struck It. there was a shud der of falling earth, ibe car toppled toward tho flood waters, tho waves breaking Into clouds ot piny. Human responsibility fell to a cipher. The river's might was magnificent, Been Habcock, come lo Carp, caught the excitement, "Come, MacLaasV he cried. "Watch Ibis! The station's going!" lie Joined Kstruda by the adobe wall. "Have u cigarette?" murmured l..,.l I'll... Ills eyes glued to the lurching sts tlon house. Habcock took a hrown paper rolled cigarette from the prof fered box. "Look," ho cried. "There, she'll go. See Hint" Tin-re was a splash of splintering timber; u Niagara of spray as the building fell Into the flood. A minute Inter, a wreckage of painted hoards was Hunting downstream, Al table Habcock resumed his esm DBlgn. "The trouble with you all. you have cold feet. You're all scared off too soon." Wooster, up from his nap, looked Cross the table. "Cold feci? So you'd bate If you had been up for nlghtS, welling jour feet on Hie levee, as some of us have, ns Hardin has. Mine are cold all right." lb- lifted mi s mused foot, "Cold I Look here, boys, they're wet!" The men looked to lind the water creeping in Hab cock climbed on bis chair. "This means the station," cried Woostor. Every man Jumped, if the waters hud got to them, it wouldn't be long before they were reaching the O. I', depot ! The tracks would go They were piling out of the door when the telephone caught them. It was n message from Itlckard. A car was to be rigged up, papers, tbkels and express mutter taken from the Million. The river was cutting close to the track. The car would ho the terminal, u half mile from town. The situation looked black. Coas ter, Fggers, began to pack their stock. The levee. It was said, would nol hold I - half of Mexienll wss gone, t'nlexlco would go next. Richard's Indlaus Were kept stolidly idling brush ami stuffed sacks on the levee. This, the word ran, would he the flerco night no one expected to sleep. They wore preparing for Hie big battle, the final struggle, when Ibe grade recession passed the town. Spectacular as was Its coming, there wus sn anticlimax In lis ret real. The water reached the platform of the depot, and halted. The town held Its breath. There wss some sleep thst night. i The next do.v. the nerves of the val- ; ley relaxed. The river was nol cut ting back. The men al Ihe levee j dropped their shovels, snd went hsck to the discussion of I heir lawsuits. ; Their crops were ruined ; too much ' wnler, or too little. Whatever way j they had been hurt, Ihe company ' would have to pay for It! A small shift guarded the river. ' Iticknrd, In his room at the Desert in. nl, and Hardin up Ihe river, slept a day and u night without waking Tho ' ohiilr-l liters picked up their argument When Ihey had left II; was (lie rail- I i i ii .ii.iiiiy ; ho, hail appealed i tin president. Their eorregpondence wue 1 1 a ' d 1 1 1 ' I . 'lb. . Iln ran higher, t ft A w .ataffUU r-mv a mbi ( r limr.i Of tho rani hern were ruined; i i was no money to put in ihe neit year's crop, un la sthopromlsi of3 irrigation company were kepi ; few landowner, and others m lm not cTr..i -i"i tlelr contr.'niH a. f ......dr. 'V. .1 i. I.l. .. .. lio'll O HO" Iltllll Ul III'' (-Qfc paiiy, or I", ahllitv to pay, bad "qB In dlsgusi, to berln again soniew e'se. Parish arid Imwker and othn ol tho Sljth scoured district by teeiired the. promise of TntiloymeM gt the Heading. Work, It wan n ported, would ho begun at : . ,. ,,,,, that tbe danger to Calexlro hy pussed. (To be continued next Week. "ESS The Ranches Were Ruined. published, The government was In no hurry to take the burden. A tele graphic sermon, preaching duty, dis tributing blame, was sent from Wash ington. Perhaps not Koroihiy himself was more disturbed than Ibe debaters of tho Desert hotel. "The railroad's no Infant In arms! 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