The Western news., 1903-07-08


and marsh ponies grazed on the coarse
grass. Turf to warm themselves dur
ing the bitter winter, and reeds to
thatch their cots; all these were the
benefits the marshmen received from
the lands. And all these would be lost
by draining and inclosure.
What wonder they were furious.
Yet what could they do?
For many months hundreds of men
had been at work. The Sutter, through
which hitherto the salt tides had made
their way up into the marshes, had
been confined within it's banks by huge
dykes. Drains and floodgates . had been
constructed. The marshes were dry
ing rapidly, and all was ready for par
ceiling out the land with fences and
turning it over to the plow and har-
row.
Old Pritchett, Selina's father, was
one of the best known "slodgers." All
his life he had shot and trapped over
the marshes, and his daughter inher-
tied his intense love for these vast ex-
panses of breezy fats.
Selma was an exceptionally hand
some girl, and naturally had many ad-
mirers. But Joe Reave and Vane Mer-
lit were generally allowed to be the
only two who had any chance.
Vane Merritt, it might have been sup
posed, would have been more likely to
win her. He was the son of small
farmer in the neighborhood, and his
expectations were far better than
Reave's, who was but marshman like
Selina's father, although better edu-
Gated than the majority of his class.
But, as we have seen, there was no
doubt in the world which Selma pre-
ferred. This Merritt knew, and had
sworn to get even with Reave.
Black night in mid December. The
soft marsh lands, soft in deep, sticky
mud, and the Sutter swollen with heavy
rains, brimming to the top of the new
embankments, and striving with fury
against its unaccustomed bonds. 1t
had been a wet autumn, which had
eliminated in three days downpour,
giving the river and the great new
drains much ado to carry down into
the sea the overflow from the higher
grounds inland. This night strong
northeaster had arisen and torn away
the canopy of cloud, allowing the win
ter stars to sparkle in the black waters
beneath.
On the embankment, just where the
Sutter curves into West Marsh, stood
mana tall, powerful figure. He car
ried a wide bladed pickax and heavy
shovel.
Laying these down, he walked to the
top of the dyke and a few yards along
it, testing the ground with his iron
shod heel. The water was within six
inches of the top of the bank, and the
current, usually so slack and lazy,
swinging along with terrific force and
power.
"This'll do," he muttered to himself.
He returned to where his tools lay,
picked them up, and began savage
onslaught on the soaking soil. Begin
ming about four feet below the top Of
the dyke at point Just beyond the
elbow of the curve, he soon had cut q
gaping hole in the wide, new rampant.
The whole force of the current here
impinged on the dyke and he reck-
oned that, once capped the river would
do the rest, and, bursting through,
speedily tear huge rent and spread
once more across the marshes.
Twenty minutes passed. He was
more than half way through, and the
river still rising.
Suddenly he stopped, pickax in hand !,
and listened hard. Bah, it was but
the wind crying through the upper air.
He went on digging, his mattock thud-
ding into the soaking soil. The sound
, again-men's voices. Yes, and ap-
preaching from the west down along
. the dyke. But nothing was visible.
"They won't see me, whoever they
be-" he said to himself. "The curve o
the bank hides me, 80 I'll see them
first" And again he hacked at the
rapidly thinning bank.
The voices ceased, but instead there
came sound of hurrying feet. Joe
worked with desperate energy. Fig
ures came in sight running towards
him.
"Here he is," shouted some one. Joe
ground his teeth, as he recognized
Meritt's voice, but never an inch did
he bulge. The marshman's blood was
up. Thud, thud, the water was begin
ming to trickle through.
They were upon him, three deputy
sheriffs and Merritt, Merritt little in
advance of the others.
"Ah! you sneaking spy" roared the
big marshman, as the other, with sticl
appraised, rushed upon him.
With a fail-like sweep of his mat
took he dashed him aside, stick ant
all, sending him rolling over and ove1
down the steep dyke side.
The sheriff's men were upon him, bu
he sprang aside. One slipped and fell
but as he fell seized Reave's leg AM
pulled him down; the others closed
and in struggling mass all four wen
rolling where Merit had alread
fallen.
Boom! and a black mass of icy wa