The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-09-23
COpyR/CN/

ana nara language OIL the part Oh
everybody. Murray Sinclair, although
he had sold his ranch on the Crawling
Stone and was concentrating his hold
ings on the Frenchman, was every
where in evidence. He was the first
at a point of danger and the last to
ride away from the slipping acres
where the muddy flood undercut; but
no defiance seemed to disturb the
Crawling Stone, which kept alarming
ly at work
Above the alfalfa lands on the long
bench north of the house the river, in
changing its course many years earli-
er, had left a depression known as
Mud lake, 1t had become separated
from the main channel of the Crawling
Stone by high, narrow barrier in the
form of bench deposited by the re-
ceding waters of some earlier flood
and added to by sandstorms sweeping
among the willows that overspread it.
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
river Twenty men riding in together
to tell Lance Dunning 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 futillty of it all.
Terror seized Dicksie She tele-
T.. -. it,, 60 IA
begging her to come up before they
should all be swept away; and Marion,
turning the shop over to Katie Dan
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
above Mud lake had weakened the last
barrier that held off the river, and
every available man was fighting the
current at that point
Marion heard it all while eating a
luncheon. Dicksie, 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 long, shallow lagoon
For an hour they watched the shovel.
tv,tr nv,I 80 Il. Il
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
It'll tell you what we can dol" She
hesitated moment. 81 will tell you
what we can do! Are you plucky?"
Dicksie looked at Marion pathet
ically.
IF you are plucky enough to do 1t
we can keep the river off yet. l have
an idea. l will go, but you must come
along"
Marion. what do you mean? DOM
you think | would go anywhere tt
save the ranch? should like to know
where you dare go in this country
that | dare mott"
Then ride with me over to the rail
road camp by the new bridge. We viii
ask Mr.. McCloud to bring some of hi.
men over. He can stop the river; hi
knows how"
Dicksie caught her breath. ooh
Marion! that would do no good, evei
could do it. Why, the railroad hal
been all swept away in the lower val
ley"
How do you know?"
$50 every one says"
"Who is every one?"
Cousin lance, Mr.. Sinclair-all th'
men. | heard that week ago"
"Dicksie, don't believe it, You don
know these railroad men. They under
stand this kind of thing cattlemen
you know, don't. If you will go will
me we can get help. I feel just a
sure that those men can control tn,
river as | do that | am looking at yol
that is, if anybody can The question
is do you want to make the effort?
They talked until they left tn,
horses and entered the house. Whel
they sat down, Dicksie put her hand
to her face. ooh, | wish you had salt
nothing about 1t! How can l go t.
him and ask for help now-after Cous
in Lance has gone into court about tn
line and everything? And of cours
my name is in it all"
"Dicksie, don't raise specters tina
have nothing to do with the case.
we go to him and ask him for help h
viii give it to us If he can; if h