The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-05-26

case, with a lighted candle beside it,
and for crazy half-second l had a
Shock, Murray-the minute hand was
pointing to four and the hour hand to
seven!"
Still | don't see the miraculous sig
niicance," said the photographer.
Don't you? 1t was only another Of
the condolences, of course. While
stood staring at the clock Arson came
In with Griflth's tool kit. I've got to
tinker her again. he said. She's got
so she keeps Pacific time with one
hand and eastern with the other. Then
| understood that he had been tinker
Ing with it and had merely gone over
to Griff1th's tent for the tools"
We'll" said Grislow again, what of
1t? The clock struck seven, you say;
but 1t also struck four"
Brouillard's smile tilted his curling
mustaches to the sardonic angle.
"The combination was what called
the turn, Grizzly. Today happens to
be my twenty-eighth birthday-the end
Of the fourth cycle of seven"
by George!" calculated the hydrog
rapher in mock perturbation, sitting
UP so suddenly that he dropped his
pipe into the ashes OF the fire. in
that case. according to what seems to
be the well-established custom, some
thing is due to fall in right now!"
II have been looking for it all day."
returned Brouillard calmly.
It was Murray Grisiow who finally
rang the curtain call on the prolonged
talk.
Say, man! do you know that 1t is
after ten o'clock?" he demanded, hold
ing the face Of his watch down to the
glow Of the dying embers. "You may
sit here all night, II you like, but it's
me for the blankets. Now, what in the
name Of guilty conscience is that?"
As it CHANGED, they were both fac
Ing toward the lower end of the val
ley when the apparition flashed into
view. In the deepest of the shadows
at the mouth Of the gorge, where the
torrenting Niquoia Strengthened itself
momentarily before entering upon its
plunging race through the mountain
barrier a beam of white light flickered
unsteadily for fraction Of second
Then 1t became a luminous pencil to
trace a zigzag line up the winding
course Of the river, across to the foot
hill spur where the camp Of the recla'
nation service vanguard was pitched
and so on around to the base OF the
, Chigringo. For certain other seconds
1t remained Quiescent, glowing bale
, fully like the eye of some tabled mon
, ster searching for It's prey. Then II
was gone.
; Grislow's comment took the form Of
q half-startled exclamation.
| by Jove! wouldn't that give you 6
fit of the creepies?-this far from civl
> lization and dynamo2 What are you
> calling it?"
!. "Your guess is as good as mine,
was the half-absent reply. Brouillart
+. had got upon his feet and was but
= toning his many-pocketed shooting
coat.
a I'm going to take little hike dowI
y yonder for investigation purposes
I Want to come alongT
I But the mapper OF watersheds wa'
| yawning sleepily. Not on your tin
l type" he refused. I'm going to 'corl
q 1t orr in me 'ammick.'"
1t was only short mile from thu
: camp on the inward slopes Of the east
!. ern foothills to the mouth Of the Quite
2 gorge, across which Brouillard coult
( already see, In mental provision, thu
I great gray wall Of the projected Nj
D quota dam-his future work-curvini
majestically from the broken shoulde
I. Of Chigringo to the opposing steep'
Of Jacks mountain. The half.growl
J, moon, fitting now toward the skyline
b Of the western barrier, was leaving tn,
s canyon portal in deepest gloom.
Picking his way judiciously becaus
the trail was new to him, Brouillar'
I came In due time to the descending
g path among the spruces and scru1
z pines leading to the western outlool