PAGE SIX
DRIVER
CHAPTER XXVIII.
A Discovery.
Tlie murder of MuMonado shook the
rump next morning. Three rurales. In
brilliant trappings, rode up to Rick
iird's rnmaila. Tha leader, entering
the nlt'nv, nntiounced that they were
mi (he track of a criminal, the mur
derer f o rurale. Maldonado. He was
an Iinllau named Felipe. He repeated
the story IUcknrd had heard before.
Would the senor Rive his respected
permission for notices to be posted
almut the camp? A description of the
Indian, a reward for his capture ; tha
favor would be Inesllmahle.
Itickard saw the notice later that
day. It was nulled to the back plat
form of the palmyra. He was on Mar
Nhiill'a trull. Ids chief having failed to
keep an appointment with him. They
were to test the gate that afternoon;
Mat-Khali was returning soon to Tuc
son. Itickard turned back toward tump,
d p in thought ; so Intenfthnt a sharp
cry hud lost its echo before the Import
rnnie to Mm. II,1 stopped, hearing run
ning steps behind Mm. Innes Hurdln
was loping up the bank like a young
di-er, with terror In her eye.
"Mr. Rickard!" she cried. "Mr.
ltlcknrd !"
She was trembling. Her fright had
flushed her; check to brow was glow
ing with startled blood. He saw nn
oild flash of startling beauty, the veil J
or tan torn on by her emotion. The
wave of lier terror caught him. lie
put out Ma hand to ateady her. She
Htood recovering herself, regaining her
sK'iit breath. Itickard remembered
that this was the first time he had seen
her since the murder of Mnldonndo,
tlnce tho meeting with the Mexican
woman at his tent. "What was It
frightened you?"
"The Indian, the murderer. Just as
they describe him on those notices. I
nniKt have fallen asleep, I'd been
reading. I heard a nnl.se In the brush
and there was his face staring at me."
Her breath was still uneven. "I
screamed and ran. Hilly to be so
cared."
He started toward the willows, but
he grabbed his sleeve. "Oh, don't."
Kite flushed, thinking to meet the quia
aim! smllp, but his eyes were grave.
He, too, had had hia fright. They stood
daring at each other. "I'm afraid "
alio completed. How he would despise
lier cowardice! l!ut she could not let
Mm know that her fear had been for
him I
He was looking at her. Suppose any
thing had happened to her! He had a
minute of ns-tsea. If that brute had
hurt lier and tlieu he kuew how It
was with him!
He looked at her gravely. Of course,
lie had known It a long time. It was
true. Sho was going to belong to him.
If that brute had hurt her I
She shrank under Ills gravity; this
was something she did not understand.
They were silent, walking toward the
encampment Itickard did not rare to
talk. It was not the time; and he had
been badly shakeu. Inues was tremu
lously conscious of the palpitating si
lence. Sue fluttered toward giddy
MIHtech. Her walk that day, Mr. Itick
ard! She had heard that water had
started to flow down the old river tied ;
she had wanted to see It, and there
was no one to go with her. Her sen
tence broke off. The look he had
turned on her was so dominant, so ten
der. Amused at her giddiness, and
yet loving her! Loving her! They
were silent again.
"You won't go off alone, again." He
had not asked It, at parting. His In-fli-cllon
demanding It of her, was of
ownership. She did not meet his eyes.
Later, when she was lying on her
bod, face downward, routed, she tried
In analyze that possessive challenge of
Ion but It eluded words. She
unitiiioned her pride, but the meaning
tailed her, scuse and mind and soul
of her. It cried to her: "I, Casey
lti'kard, whom your brother hates,
once the lover of Gerty Holmes, I am
the mate for you. And I'm going to
come and take you some day. Some
day, when I have timet"
yes, she was angry with him;
she had some pride. "Why didn't he
tell me then?" she cried In a warm tu
mult to her pillow. "For I would have
given hlin hia answer. I had time,
ample time, to tell him that It was
not true." For she wanted a different
sort of lover, not a second-hand dis
card ; but one who belonged all to her
elf ; one who would woo, not take her
with tltnt strange sure look of his.
ru'll be waiting when I come." Ah,
he would not. Indeed! She would
tdiow him!
And then she lay quite still with her
tmttd over her heart She would be
wilting when he came for her! Be
t !!, though life had brought them
together so roughly, so tactlessly had
muddled thins, yet she knew. She
EDNAH
AIKEN
' Before he hafleft tierTRlcknrd had
followed a swift Impulse. Those bronze
lar.ips averted still J Was she remem
bering Inst night? No mistake like
that should rest between them. He
must set that straight That much he
allowed hlmsolf. Until his work was
done. But she knew she hud seen
how it was with Mm !
i wonder If you would help me.
Miss Hunlln? Would you do some
thing for that poor crazed woman?
I wanted to ask Mrs. Hardin, but for
some reason I've got into hr black,
books. Just the little kindness one
woman cnu give another. A man fluds
It difficult And these Mexican wors
en don't understand a man's friend
ship." Her eyes met his squarely. Ills tan
tnllln iimlle had j.one. He was mak
ing a demand of her to believe him,
hU request his defense. The glances,
of - el'ow eyps nnd gray, met with a
shock, nnd tie world was changed for
both. Life, vlt! its ninny glad voices,
was calling lo senses and spirit, the
girl's still rebellious, the mnn's sure.
Itickard put out his iinnd. "Good
night !" To both, It carried the sound
of "I love yon!" She put her hand In
his, then tore her lingers away, furi
ous wltr then for clinging. Where
was her pride? When he had time!
She lied Into her tent
Neither of them had seen Oerty
Hardin watclilng them from lier tent
door.
CHAPTER XXIX.
A Glimpse of Freedom.
Tho siding was deserted. The Pal
myra had run t.ut to Tuscon. Marshall
had gone without apprehension. They
did not expect now to nave setbacks,
to have to extend the time set for the
ultimate diversion. The days were
flowing like oil. The encampment was
(Wing up with visitors, newspaper men
who enme to report the spectacular
capture of the river.
ltlckard's day badly begun, piled np
with vexations. By sundown, he was
wet to the skin, and mad as a sick Ari
zona cat
Iu this Jaundiced Juncture, Mao
Lean, Jr., brought down his dispatches
to the river. He read of the burning
of a tralnload of railroad ties. Itickard
wore.
"Anything else pleasant T
"A letter from the governor from
dad," MacI.ean read that hia father
begged a small favor of Itickard.
"Godfrey, the celebrated English
tenor, Is on my hands. Ills doctors
have been advising outdoor occupa
tion. I am sending hlin to yon, ask
ing you to give him any Job you may
have. He Is willing to do anything.
Tut him at something to keep hint oc
cupied." Macl.enn saw Rlckard's face turn
red. "Suffering cats I A worn-out
opera singer! What sort of an opera
docs he think we're giving down here?
Why doesn't he send me a fur coat, or
a pair of girl twins? Give the tenor
a role! Anything else? I'ile It all
on."
"Oh, and one from Godfrey himself.
He's In Los Angeles. He says he'll be
here tomorrow." Ho did not wait for
his chief's reply.
At the supper table, Itickard, dry
and In restored humor, alluded to the
Invasion of high notes. "Pity the parts
are all assigned! The only vacancy
Is In the kitchen. I wonder how he
would like to be understudy to Ling!"
The next dny when the Incident had
been forgotten, and while Itickard was
up at the Crossing on the concrete
gate, Godfrey blew Into camp, lie
Godfrey Blew Into Camp.
KM tiki L bj;s .cut jia x JmJs.
brown eyes were TIancTug "over theltt
venture. He explored the camp and
came back bubbling.
"It's the biggest I ever saw. But say.
Junior, that's what they call you,
Isnt It? Tin the only Idle man here.
Can't you give me something to do?
ril do anything. I'd like the boss to
find me busy when he comes In."
MacLean softened the offer. Perhaps
until Mr. Godfrey learned the ropes he
could be of general use. They were
short-handed the present moment
there was another hesitation In the
kitchen ! Ling, the Chinese cook, was
overcrowded so many visitors
"Great." crowed Godfrey, shipping
him on the shoulder. "I don't want to
feel In the way. I want to earn my
board. Lead me to the cook !"
That evening, the dinner was helped
on Its way by the best-paid singer of
England. In an apron, borrowed of
Ling, he was "having the time of his
life." Ling, preteuding to scold, had
been won Immediately. Rickard, hear
ing of the Jolly advent, forgot his rel
ation, and immediately on his return
made his way to the niesqult luclosure
to greet the friend of George Mac
Lean. After dinner, MacLean carried oft
his rrize to the Delta, where Godfrey
earned his welcome. Gerty Hardin for
got to flirt with the engineers; she
had discovered a new sensation. The
wondert ul voice twisted her heart
strings; It told her that the heart thm
oas truly loved never forgets, and sha
knew that sh could never have really
loved, yet, becuuse the youth In her
veins was whispering to her that she
could still forget. Godfrey saw a mo
bile plaintive fnce turned up to the
gibbous moon; he swept It with thrills
and flushes. She was a wonderful au
dience; she was also his orchestra, the
woman with tho plaintive eyes. He
played on her expressions as though
she were a harp.
Ijiter, he was presented to Mrs.
Hurdln. She told Aim Hint the camp
would no longer be dull ; that she find
tea every afternoon Ir her niiiiaun.
She convicted nlm archly ot British
hood. "She knew he must have his
tea 1"
"You American women are the won
ders of the world! Nothing daunts you.
In the desert, and you give afternoon
tens. I'll be there every day 1"
ITe gave her open admiration; she
looked young and wltful In her soft
flowing mulls, the moonlight helping
her.. She fell Into a delicious flurry of
nerves and excitement Later, she
wandered with him from a rude gnplng
world Into a heaven of silvered decks
and gleaming waters. He told ber of
himself, of his loneliness; his music
had dropped him to self-pity.
Oerty Hurdln heard her bars drop
behind her. She snatched her first
glimpse of freedom.
CHAPTER XXX.
Tha Dragon Scores.
The Tnlmyra was once again on Its
siding. Marshall was at the front
again; having made another of his
swift dashes from Tucson. This time
he expected officially to close the gate.
Claudia was with him. She never left
the car, unless It were to step out to
the platform to see what she could
from there of the river work.
Hardin and Itickard had been devot
ing anxious weeks. A heavy rainfall
and cloudburst In the mountnlos of
northern Arizona had swollen the feed
era of Ihe Ulla river which roared
down to the Colorado above Yuma.
The eroding streams carried moun
tains In solution which settled against
the gate, a scour starting above and
below It Relief had to be given on
the Jump. A spur track was rushed
across the by-pass above the gate, as
the closing of the Ill-fated gate with
the dashboards was no longer possible.
A rock-flll was the only means of
closure. In the distant quarries men
were digging out rock to fill the call
from the river.
Marshall came down to see the com
pleted spur. Before he reached the
intake, the first rock train had moved
onto the spur track. The trestle had
settled, the train had been thrown
from the rails and wrecked.
Marshall came tit from the damaged
trestle, bringing Rickard and Crothers,
Mrs. Marshall had Invited Innes Hur
dln to dine with them. Innes fell to
flushing, aud chilling, as a lithe-muscled
figure came directly to her. Ills
eyes where was the look she had
feu red, of possessive tenderness? The
quizzical gleam was gone. On guard I
A solemn business, loving, when you
know that It means life I On guard,
though, to ber I She pulled her fin
gers from his strong lingering clasp,
and Joined Mr. Marshall.
Rickard had his soldier look on. She
was watching him covertly as he
talked with his host and Crothers. as
though she were not there ; as though
something were not waiting for him to
clali. How could he be talking, ob
livious ot everything else In the world
except the river? Was that loving?
Could she think of anything else when
he was In the same room with her?
He was a soldier of the modern army.
It came to her, a sort of tender divi
nation, that he would not divide his
thoughts, even with her, with love, un
til hia battle was won. Well, couldn't
she understand that? What her ectt
satlon against Gcrty? Sex honor
keep off the track! Wasn't that her
own notion? Oughtn't she to be proud
of him?
She had brought nest of waspish
thoughts tumbling about her ears,
Getty! He had loved Gerty. II
couldn't love her, If hk thoughts had
ever lingered, with that name serious
ly solemn look on the false Uttle face
of her sister-in-law.
Aiit dlrmrr !hl7 Tf ..ftvid'j; In
the sEaifiTof" the" Palmyra." It" was "a
soft still afternoon. The fierceness of
the savage desert bad melted to her
daya of lure. Beyond, the turbid wa
ters of the Colorado bore a smiling sur
face. There was nothing to hint of
treachery.
It was a' minute of pleasant lassj
tude, snatched from the turmoil. Rick
ard had suceouibed to the softness of
the day and his mood. He was enjoy
ing the thought of Innes nearness.
though she kept her face turned from
him. He knew by the persistence of
those averted eyes that she was as
acutely conscious of his presence ca he
was, restfully, of hers. Deliberately,
he was prolonging the Instant
A stir on the river had caught the
alert eye of Tod Marshall. He swore
a string of picturesque Maralialllan
oaths. ltlckard's eyes Jumped toward
the by-pass. The placid waters had
suddenly buckled. Majestically the
gate rose and went out Months of
work swept away! The gate drifted
a hundred feet or more. Some unseen
obstruction caught It there, to mock
at the labors of man.
Innes, aghast turned toward Rick
ard. His face wns expressionless.
There was babel of excited voices
behind them, Bodefeldt MacLean,
Tony, Crothers, Bangs, all talking at
once. Her eyes demanded something
of Rlckurd. A fierce resentment rose
against his calmness. "He kuew It,"
she rebelled. "He's been expecting
this to happen. It's no tragedy to
hlin r There was a stab as of physi
cal pain; she was visualizing the blow
to Tom.
She heard Marshall's voice, speak
ing to ltlcknrd. "Well, you're ready
for this," She did not hear the an
swer, for alreudy Rickard was heading
Rickard Was Heading for tha By-Pass,
for' the by-pass. Marshall and the
young engineers followed him.
To Innes that wreck down yonder
was worse than failure; It was ruin.
It Involved Tom's life. It wns his life.
This would be the final crushing of his
superb courage her thoughts released
from their paralysis were whipped by
sudden fear. She must find him, be
with hlin. The next instant she was
speeding toward the encampment
Estrada met her on the run.
nacl Gerty heard? The pity that
she must know ! She would not be ten
der to Tom; her pride would be
wounded. She must ask her to be ten
der, generous. Her footsteps slack
ened as she came in sight of the tents.
She heard voices In the ramada, a
man's clear notes mingling with Ger
ty's childish treble. "Godfrey!" Her
mind Jumped to other tcte-a-tetes. Of
course I So that was w hat waa going
on. And she not seeing I If not one
man, then another! Horrid little clan
destine affairs!
The meeting was awkward. Speed
ily Innes got rid of the news. Mrs.
Hurdln shrugged. "I believe I'll go
out" Plaintively, she made the an
nouncement as though It were Just
evolved. "Now, the camp will be hor
rid. Everybody will be cross and
everybody will be working."
As she left the tent beyond, Innes
could hear the vibrant voice of God
frey persuading Mrs. Hardin to atuy
there a few weeks longer. She could
hear him say, "Tills will delay the turn
ing of the river at the most but a few
weeks. Rickard told me so week ago.
And think what It would be here with
out youl"
"They were all expecting It !" resist
ed Innes Hardin, She turned back to
ward the river. She must find Tom.
CHAPTER XXXI.
A Sunday Spectacle.
Trouble with the tribes was well
grown before It was recognized. Dis
affection was ripe, the bucks were
heady, the white man's silver acting
like wine. Few of the braves had
dreamed of ever possessing sums of
money such as they drew down each
Sunday morning. Rickard 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 Inco
besloo, Rickard spoke of It to Coronel.
"Like small baby," hunched the old
shoulders. "Happy baby, rrctty soon
atop." i
With the next wages went a repri
mand, then a warning. Still followed
bad Mondays. Rickard then Issued a
formal warning to all the tribes.
"The situation with the Indians Is
serious," said Rickard to MacLean,
yTtu'v're gp'tlnf ttn'r fn here.
wayTtEe Lord only knows howT Any
way, they're not fit for burning Mon
day morning. I've Just sent them word
by Coronel that It's got to quit, or they
do."
."Suppose thsy do?" MacLean was
startled. Not an Indian could be
spared at that stage of the game.
"Bluff!" Rickard got up. They
won't take the chance of losing that
money. I'm off now to the Crossing.
Til leave you In charge here."
The next morning Wooster broke in
to the ramada where MacLean sat
clicking his typewriter.
"Everything's up. Rlckard's done it
now. Sent some ail-fired, independent
kindergarten orders to the Indians.
Says they have to be in bed by ten
o'clock, or some such hour on Satur
day and Sunday nights. It's a strike,
their answer. That's what his monkey
ing 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 Saturduy nights.
Losing one day week! We can't
stand for that Luck's been playing
Into his hands, but this will show him
up. Thls'U show Marshall his pet
clerk. Tell Casey there'll be no In
dians tomorrow." He sputtered an
grily out of the office.
Rickard seemed pleased when Mac
Lean made the announcement a few
hours later.
His secretary was weighing him.
"What do you Intend to do about It?"
"Call their bluff," grinned Casey,
showing teeth, tobacco had not hod a
rbance to spoil. "Boycott them."
MacLean found Wooster at the river
bank with Tom Hardin. The two men
were watching, a plle-tlrlver set a re
rVtf' "' x
He Found Wooster at the River Bank.
belllous pile. Two new trestles were
to supplement the one which hod been
bent out of line by the weight of set
tling drift. Marshall's plan was being
followed, though Jeered nt by reclama
tion men nnd the engineers of tho D.
R. company.
"Stop the mattress weaving and
dump like hell '." had been his orders.
"Boycott the Indians, well Tra
blowed," the bendy eyes spnrkled at
Hardin. "Now he's cut his own
throat"
"By the eternal I" swore Hard In.
MacLean left the two engineers match
ing oaths.
There was an ominous quiet the next
dny. Not an Indian offered to work at
the river. A few stolid bucks came to
their tasks on Tuesday morning; they
were told by Rickard himself that
there was no work for them. Rickard
appeared Ignorant of the antagonism
of the engineers.
An unfnthered rumor Btarted. that
Rickard was In with the Reclamation
Service men; that he wanted the work
to fall ; to be adopted by the Service.
MucLenn broke a lance or two against
the absurd slander. He was making
tne discovery that a man's friendship
for a man tuny be deeper than a mnn's
love for a woman. lie was a Rickard
man. ne was made to feel tho re
proach of it
Wednesday not an Indian reported.
Coronel passed from camp to camp,
his advice unpopular. Scouts sent out
to watch the work on the river report
ed It was crippled. The white mun
would he sending for the Indian soon.
The waiting braves sat on their
h innches, 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.
Rickard did not turn In until after
nildulght, planning alternatives. He
was sleeping hard when MacLean,- at
dawn, dashed Into his tent
"Quick, what does this mean?"
It was a splendid spectacle, and
staged superbly. Yot background, the
sharp-edged mountains flushing to
pinks and purples against a one-hued
sky ; the river-growth of the old chan
nel uniting them, blotting out miles of
desert Into a flnt scene. On the op
posite bank of the New river, five
hundred strong, lined up formidably,
their faces grotesque and ferocious
with paint, were the seven tribes. The
sun's rays glinted up from their fire
arms, shotguns, revolvers. Into a mot
ley of defiance! Cocopahs, with
streaming hair, blanketed NavaJos,
short-haired Plnias. those In front rein
ing In their silent pinto ponies, and all
motionless, silent in that early morn
ing light
"What does It mean?" whispered
MacLean. Rickard did not answer. He
had one nauseous Instant as be looked
toward Innes' tent Then he broke Into
langhter.
"See, the white horse, ho. In front
"J5v Jo v." - Vyt n prtTv( at1
thU'E "Coronel '. They haTme buf
faloed. What do you think it Is?"
Rickard stepped out Into the wash
of morning air and waved a solemn
salute acmss the river. Gravely it
was returned by Coronet
"What does It mean?" demanded
MacLean.
"It means we've won," chuckled his
chief, coming bacK into his tent
An hour later Coronel led In a picked
group of the tribes. If the w hite chief
would recall the boycott the Monday
strike was over. The white man's sil
ver had won.
CHAPTER XXXII.
The White Night
"Lord, Tm tired," groaned Rickard,
stumbling Into camp, wet to the skin.
"Don't you say letters to me, Mac
I'm going to bed. Tell Ling I don't
want any dinner. He'll want to fuss
up something. I don't want to see
food."
The day, confused and Jumbled,
burned across his eyeballs; a turmoil
of bustle and hurry of insurrection. He
had mude a swift stand against that
He was to be minded to the last man
Jack of them, or anyone w ould go, his
threat Including the engineers, Silent,
Irish, Wooster, Hardiu himself. This
wns no time for factions, for leader
feeling.
Iu bed, the day with Its irritations
fell awny. lie could see now. the step
ahead that had been taken; the last
trestle wns done; the rock-pouring
well on; he called that going some!
He felt pleasantly languid, but not yet
sieepy. ms thought wnnUereu over tne
resting camp. And then Iunes Hardin
came to him.
Not herself, but ns a soft Httlo
thought which enme creeping around
the corner of his ilreums. She had
been there, of course, nil day, tucked
away In his mind, as though In his
home waiting for him to come back to
her, weary from the pricks of the dny.
The way he would come home to her,
please God, some day. Not bearing
tils burdens to her, he did not believe
'n that, but asking her diversions. Con
tentment spread her soft wings over
him. He fell asleep.
Rickard wakened as to a cnll. What
had startled him? Ho listened, rais
ing himself by his elbow. From a dls
unce, 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 uguln to Innes Hurdln.
He pulled aside his curtain which
hung over the screening of his tent
end looked out Into a moon-flooded
world. Rlckard's eyes fell on a little
tent over yonder, a white shrine.
"White as that fine sweet' soul of
hers!"
Wandering Into the night, Godfrey
passed down the river, singing. His
voice, tho footlights, the listening
greut audiences were calling to hlra.
To Mm, the moon-flooded levee, tho
glistening water, made a star-set
scene. Ho wns trending the bonrds,
the hishlng waters by the bunk gave
the orchestration for his melody "La
Donna e Mobile." He begnn It to Gerty
Hardin; she would hear It'ln her tent;
she would take It ns the tender re
proach he had teased herewith that
afternoon In the ramada.
Ho gave for encore a ballad long
forgotten ; he had pulled It back from
the cobwebs of two decades; ho bad
made It bis own.
"But, my darling, you will be,
Ever young and fair to me."
It came, the soaring voice, to Tom
Hardin, outside Gerty's tent on his
lonely cot He knew that song. Dis
dained by his wife, a pretty figure a
man cuts! If bis wife can't stand
him, who can? He wasn't good enough
for her. He was rough. Ills life bad
kept him from fitting himself to her
taste. She Deeded people who could
talk like Rickard, sing like Godfrey.
People, other people, might mlscon
Btrue her preferences. He knew they
were not flirtations; she needed her
klnl. She would always keep straight;
she was straight as a whip. Life was
hs hard for her as it was for him; he
could feel sorry for her; bis pity was
divided between the two of them, the
husband, the wife, both lonely la their
own way.
On the other side of the canvas
walls, Gerty Hardin lay listening to
the message meant for her. The fickle
Fez, he had called hers ; no constancy
la woman, he bad declared, fondling
her hair. He had tried to coax 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 berj none of Its
promises had been kept To be happy,
why, that was a human's birthright;
crab It that was her creed I There
was a chance yet; youth had not gone.
Us was singing It to her, her escape
"Darling, yon will be,
Ever young and fair to "me."
Godfrey, tinging to Gerty Hardin,
bad awakened the camp. Innes, in
her tent too, was listening.
"Darling, you will be.
Ever young and fair to met"
So that Is the miracle, that wild
rush of certain feeling! Yesterday,
doubting, tomorrow, more doubts but
tonight the song, the night Isolated
them, herself and Rickard, Into a
world of their own. Life with him on
any terms she wanted.
St?' CHAPTER XXXIII. '
fwr
Tha Battle In tha Night
Gathering on the bank were the
Camp groups to watch the last stand
of the river against the rock bombard
ment Molly Silent had crept down
from the Crossing, full of fears. Out
there, somewhere on the trestles, on
o.of t? rock cars, wn,S liT I'm
She Mit on the" bank Ey Innes and Sirs.
Marshall
Mrs. Hardin, floated by la 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 beesi
peering through a locked door.
Gajiy, with a fluttering of ruffles,
Gerty established herself on the bank.
trifle out of hearing distance. A
hard little smile played on the lips ac
cented with I'arisian rouge. The child
ish expression was gone; her look ac
cused life of having trifled with her.
But they would see '
"Pcn't look so unhappy, dearest,"
whispered the man at her side. "m
going to cake yon happy, dear P
She flushed a brilliant, finished smile
at him. Yes, she wns proud of him.
ne satisfied her sense of romance, or
would, later, when she was away front
here, a dull pain pricking at her delib
erate planning. Godfrey found her
young, young and distracting. His
life had been hungry, too; the wife,
up there In Canada somewhere, had
never understood him. Godfrev mn
ambitious, ambitious as she was, Sha
on hi be his wire: sne would see tha
cities of the world with him, the weU
corned wife of Godfrey; she would
share the plaudits his wonderful voice
ron.
His eyes were on her now, she knew.
questioning, not quite sure of her. She
had worried hlra 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 hlin sure of her.
An exclamation from hlra recalled
her. She found thnt he was no longer
staring nt her; his eyes were fixed oa
the trembling structure over which a
"battleship," luden with rock, waa
creeping.
"I want to stay with you, you know
that 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
wns tired, anyway! She was going
back to her tent 1
lie thrust a yellow paper Into her
hands. "I sent flint off today. Per
haps you will be glad?"
She flung another of her Inscrutable
smiles nt him, and went up the bank,
the paper unread In her hands. )
The long afternoon wore awny. They;
were now dynamiting the lurgest 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 jpa
louded at once; the din on Sllent'a
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 wns ugly In its wrath. It was
humping itself for Its final stand
against the absurdity of human Inten
tion; Its yellow tnll swished through
the bents of the trestle.
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 oscil
lated between the levee and dams, tak
ing orders, giving orders, nis 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 flnred 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 mem
of the Reclamation forgot this was not
their enterprise; the Hardin faction
Jumped to Rlckard's orders. The
watchers on the bank snt tense,
thrilled out of recognition of achlnir
muscles, or the midnight creeping chill.
No one would go home.
To Innes, the struggle was vested
In two men, Rickard running down
yonder with thnt light foot of his, and
rtardln with the fighting mouth tense.
And somewhere, she remembered,
working with the rest, was Estrada.
Those three were fighting for the Justi
fication of a vision an Idea was at
stake, a hope for the future.
Rickard passed nnd repassed her.
And had not seen her! Not during
those hours would he think of her, not
until the idea failed, or was trium
phant would he turn to look for her.
Visibly, the drama moved toward Its
climax. Before many hours passed the
river would be captured or the Idea
forever mocked. Each time a belchlne
engine pulled across that haznrdonn
track It flung a credit to the man-side.
Each time the waters, slowly rising,
hurled their weight against the crenk
Ing trestles where the rock was thin,
a point was gained by the militant riv
er. Its roar sounded like the last cry
of a wounded animal In Innes enr;
the Dragon was a reality that night as
It spent Its rage against the shackles
oLDiai men. - --
(Concluded next Saturday.)
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