Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-09-08
CHAPTER XVIII.
At the Dixie.

TO anger. MT. MCClOuu Is just Tic
same way. Mr.. Smith says when he
does get angry he can do anything.
He is very like you in so many ways"
Dicksie was wiping her eyes. us
he, Marion? Well, what shall wear?"
"Just your riding-clothes, dear, and
smile. He won't know what you have
on. 1t is you he will want to see. But
I've been thinking of something else.
What will your Cousin Lance say?
Suppose he should object?'
object! l should like to see him
object after losing the fight himself"
Marion laughed "Well, do you think
you can find the way down there for
us?"
81 can find any way anywhere within
100 miles of here"
On the goth of June McCloud did
have something of an army of men in
the Crawling Stone valley. Of these,
ESQ were in the vicinity of the bridge,
the abutments and piers Of which
were being put in Just below the Dun.
ming ranch. Near at hand Bill Dan
cling, with a big gang, had been for
some time watching the ice and dyna-
hitting the jams. McCloud brought In
more men as The river continued to
rise. The danger line on the gauges
was at length submerged, and for
three days the mainline construction
camps had been robbed of men to
guard the soft grades above and be-
low the bridge. The new track up
highway of escape from the flood, and
the track patrols were met at every
curve by cattle, horses, deer, wolves
and coyotes fleeing from the waste
of waters that spread over the bot
toms.
Through the Dunning ranch the
Crawling Stone river makes far
and east The extraordinary volume
of water now pouring through the Box
canyon exposed 10000 acres of the
ranch to the caprice of the river, and
if at the point of it's tremendous sweep
to the north it should cut back into its
old channel the change would wipe
the entire body of ranch alfalfa lands
of the face of the valley. With the
heat of the frightening June days q
vast steam rose from the chill waters
of the river, marking in ominous wind
ings the channel Of the main stream
through a yellow sea which, ignoring
the usual landmarks of trees and
dunes, fanked the current broadly on
either side. Late In the afternoon of
the day that Dicksie with Marion
sought McCloud, a storm drifted down
the Topaz Topaz hills, and heavy
showers broke across the valley.
At nightfall the rain had passed and
the mist lifted from the river Above
the bluffs rolling patches of cloud OBJ
scure6 the face of the moon, but the
distant thunder had ceased, and at
midnight the valley near the bridge
lay in stiffness broken only by the
hoarse calls of the patrols and far-of
megaphones. From the bridge camp,
which lay on high ground near the
grade, the distant lamps of the track
walkers could be seen moving dimly
Before the campfire in front of Nc
Clouds tent a group of men, smoking
and talking, sat or lay sprawled On
tarpaulins, drying themselves after the
long day. Among them were the
Weather-beaten remnants of the old
guard of the mountain workers, men
who had fought the Spider Water
with Glover. Bill Dancing, huge, lum-
bering, awkward as a bear and as
shifty, was talking, because with no
apparent effort he could talk all night,
and was a valuable man at keeping
the camp awake. Bill Dancing talked
and, after Sinclair's name had been
dropped from the roll, ate and drank
more than any two men on the di-
vision. A little apart, McCloud lay
on leather caboose cushion trying to
get nap.
The man sent to the bridge had
turned back, and behind his lantern
Dancing heard the tread Of horses. He
stood at one side of the campfire
while the visitors rode up; they were
women. Dancing stood dumb as they
advanced into the freight. The one
ahead spoke: 'Mr Dancing, don't
you know me?" AS she stopped her
horse the light of the fire struck her
face. "Why, Mis- Sinclair!"
Eyes, and Miss Dunning is with
me-" returned Marion. Bill staggered.
"This is an awful place to get to; we
have been nearly drowned, and we
want to see Mr.. McCloud."
McCloud, reused by Marion's voice,
came forward. "You were asleep"
said she as he greeted her. 81 am so
sorry we have disturbed you'll" She
looked careworn and a little forlorn,
yet but a little considering the strug-
gle she and Dicksie had made to reach
the camp.
Light blazed from the campfire,
where Dicksie stood talking with DAN
zinc %