Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-17

, ceding waters OF some earlier food.
and added TO by sandstorms sweeping
among the willows that overspread il.
/ without an effective head or definite
! system OF work the Efforts OF the men
! at the Stone ranch were OF no more
! consequence than il they had spent
! their time in waving blankets at the
4 river. Twenty men riding in together
I TO tell Lance DuDning that the river
! was washing out the tree claims above
| Mud lake made no perceptible differ
/ ence In the event. Dicksie, though an
| inexperienced girl, saw with helpless
clearness the futility OF II all.
Terror seized Dicksie She tele-
1 phoned in her distress for Marion,
/ begging her to come up before they
| should all be swept away; and Marion.
| turning the shop over 20 Katie Dan
1 cling, got into the ranch-wagon that
| Dicksie had sent and started for the
Crawling Stone.
| At noon Marion arrived. The ranch
house was deserted, and the men were
( all at the river Puss stuck her head
out OF the kitchen window. and Dick
sic ran out and threw herself into
| Marion's arms. Late news from the
/ front had been the worst: the cutting
I above Mud lake had weakened the last
/ barrier that held of the river. and
| every available man was fighting the
! current at that point
| Marion heard il all while eating a
| luncheon. Dickse. beset with anxiety.
/ could not stay in the house The man
that had driven Marion over. saddled
| horses in the afternoon and the two
women rode up above Mud lake now
| become through rainfall and seepage
] from the river a long. shallow lagoon
| For an hour they watched the shovel.
Ing and carrying OF sand-bags. and
rode toward the river TO the very edge
Of the disappearing willows. where
! the bank was melting away before the
undercut OF the resistless current.
| They rode away with a common feel
ing-a conviction that the fight was a
losing one. and that another day would
see the ruin complete.
"Dicksie.' exclaimed Marion-they
were riding to the house as she spoke
III tell you what We can do" She
/ hesitated a moment. Il will tell you
what we can do, Are you plucky?"
Dicksie looked az Marion pathet-
ically.
If you are pluclxy enough 20 do II.
we can keep the river on yet. I have
an idea. 1 will go but you must come
/ along"
Marion. what do you mean? Don't
/ you think 1 would so anywhere TO
save the ranch2 7 should like 70 know
where you dare so In this country
that I dare mott"
Then ride with me over 60 the rail
road camp by the new bridge We will
ask Mr. McCloud TO bring some OF his
men over. He can stop the river: he
knows how"
Dicksie caught her breath "Oh.
Marion that would do no good. even
l could do IT, Why. the railroad has
been all swept away in the lower val
ley"
How do YOU know?"
80 every one says"
Who is every one"
Cousin Lance. Mr.. Sinclair-au the
men. l heard that a week ago"
"Dicksie. don't believe 70. You don't
know these railroad men. They under
stand this kind OF thing: cattlemen.
-tA hAAWWf uNh 4 Al YOU Will 10 Win
me We can get help. I feel Just as
sure that those men can control the
river as do that l am looking al YOU
that is. II anybody can. The question
is do you want 90 make the effort ?"
They talked until they left the
horses and entered the house. When
they sat down. Dcksie put her hands
to her face. oh. wish you had said
nothing about Il! How can / 20 to
him and ask for help now-after Cous-
In Lance has gone into court about the
line and everything? And OF course
my name is in il all"
"Dicksie. don't raise specters that
have nothing 20 do with the case. II
we go to him and ask him for help he
will give IL 70 US II he can; il ne
can't, what harm is done2 He has
been up and down the river for three
weeks. and he has an army of men
camped over by the bridge. l know
that. because Mr.. Smith rode in from
there a few days ago"
What Whispering Smith? Oh. II
he is there / would not go for worlds"
Pray, why not?"
WY ne II SuCh an awful man.
THAT is absurd. Dicksie'
Dicksie looked grave Marion, no
man in this part OF the country has
good word 10 say for Whispering
Smith"
Perhaps you have forgotten, Dick
sic. that you live in a very rough part
OF the country" returned Marion.
| coolly. NO man that he has ever
hunted down would have anything
pleasant to say about him; nor would
the friends OF such a man be likely
to say q good word OF him. There are
many on the range, Dicksie, that have
no respect for life or law OF anything
else. and they naturally hate a man
like Whispering smith"
But Marion. ne killed"
Il know. He killed a man named
Williams a few years ago, while you
were at school-one of the worst men
that ever infested this country. Will
liams Cache is named after that man;
I