The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-07-26
CHAPTER iV-contInued.

I'm afraid he'd have to loosen uJ
on his record little before we cOult
bring him in here. Badly MS were
needing a money man, we can hardly
afford to put John Smith into the
saddle-at' least not without knowing
what his other name used to be-"
mo; Of course not. I guess, after
all. he's only lame duck like good
many OF the rest of them. Day before
yesterday, Burdell, the deputy sheriff
was out at the camp looking the gangs
over for the fellow who broke into
Lannigan's place last Saturday night
When he came into the Office Smith
was busy with an estimate. and Bur.
dell went up anu touched him on the
shoulder, just to let him know that II
was time to wake up. Suffering cats
1t took three Of us to keep him from
breaking Burdell Ia two and throwing
him out OF the Window!
THAT looks rather bad" was the
presidents comment. Col. Dexter Bald
win had been the first regularly elect
ed sheriff Of Timanyoni county in the
early days and he knew the symptoms.
"was Burdell wearing his star where
1t could be seen3"
The engineer nodded.
what explanation did Smith make ?"
"Oh, he apologized like a gentleman,
and said he was subject to little nerv-
GUS attacks like that when anybody
touched him unexpectedly. He took
Burdell over to Pete Simm's shack sa-
loon and bought him drink. Perkins,
the timekeeper, says he's coins to get
megaphone so he can give due notice
In advance when he wants to call
Smiths attention.
The colonel pulled out n drawer in
the desk, found his box OF diplomatic
cigars and passed II 10 the engineer.
saying: Light up sure-enough good
one, and toll me what you think Smith
has been doing back yonder In the
other country"
Williams took the cigar but he SHE'D
at the conundrum.
ASK me something easy" he said,
I've stacked up few guesses. He's
from the middle West--as the Bible
says, his speech betrayeth' hlm-and
he's had good Job OF some kind; the
kind that required him TO keep abreast
of things. II there's anything In looks.
you'd say he wasn't thief or an en-
bezzler, and yet It's pretty apparent
that he's been used to handling money
In chunks and making 1t work for its
living. I've put II up that there's a
woman In It. Perhaps the other fell
low got In his way, or came up behind
him and touched him unexpectedly, or
something OF that Sort Anyway, I'm
not going TO believe he's a crooked |
crook until have to-"
Colonel Baldwin helped himself to
one of his own cigars. and the talk |
wert back TO business. In the irri- |
cation project, Williams was stock-
holder as well as chief OF construction,
md Baldwin had more than once
found him n safe adviser. There was |
need for counsel. The Timanyonl |
Ditch company was In n rather hazard |
Gus condition financially. and the presi-
dent and Williams rarely met without
coming sooner or later 10 a threshing |
OUT OF the situation.
The difficulties were those which are |
apt TO confront n small and local enter |
prise when II Is so unfortunate as to |
get In the way Of larger undertakings. |
Colonel Baldwin. and a group of his |
neighbors on the north side OF the |
river, were reformed cattlemen and
horse breeders. Instead OF drifting
west in advance of the incom-
Ing tide Of population following the
coming OF the railroad. they had
nvailed themselves of their homestead |
rights and had taken up much of the
grass land in the favorable valleys, ir-
rigating 1t at first with water taken
out of the river in private or neighbor-
hood bitches.
Later on came the sheep.feeding
period, and after that the utilization
~ larger crop-raislng areas. The small
bitches proving inadequate for these,
Colonel Baldwin had formed n stock
company among his nelghbors in the
grass lands and his friends In Brewster
'or the building of substantial dam
N the eastern hills. The project had
seemed simple enough in the beginning.
The stock was sold for cash and each
'fockhoider would be a participating
iser OF the water. Williams, who had
'een United States reclamation man
'efore he came to the Timanyoni. had
nfde careful estimates, and the stock
description provided money enough
0 cover the cost Of the dam and the
sain ditch