The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-20

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completed power house, still figuring
to the eye as skeleton masses Of form
timbering, lay just below them, aud
on the hither side the flooding tor
rent Numbered through the spilIway
gates, which had been opened to their
fullest capacity. Between the quarry
and the northern dam-head ran the
smooth concreted channel Of the main
ditch canal. with the water in the res
ervoir lake still tapping several feet
below the level of it's entrance to give
assurance that, until the Spillways
should be closed, the charter-savinG
stream would never pour through the
canal.
On the opposite side Of the river
the dam-head and the camp street
were deserted, but there were lights
in the commiSSary, in the office shack.
and in Blue Pete Simms canteen dog
gerry. From the latter quarter sounds
Of revelry rose above the spillway
thunderings, and now and again a
drunken figure lurched through the
open door to make its way uncertain
ly toward the rank of bunk houses.
Harding was staring into the farther
nimbus of the electric rays. trying to
pick up some sign of the other half of
his posse, when Smith made sug-
geStion.
Both of your parties will have the
workmen'S bunk houses in range, Mr..
Harding, and we mustn't forget that
Colonel Baldwin and Williams are
prisoners in the timekeeper's shack
If the guns have to be used"
There won't be any wild shooting,
Of the kind you're thinking Of, re-
turned the sheriff grimly. There
amt single man in this posse that
can't hit what he aims at, nine times
out O. ten. But here's hopin' we can
gather 'em in without the guns. Ii
they amt loOkin' for us"
The interruption was the whining
song of a jacketed bullet passing over
head, followed by the crack Of rife
Down, boys" said the sheriff softly
setting the example by sliding into the
ready-made trench afforded by the dry
ditch of the outlet canal; and as hs
said it sharp fusilade broke out
with fire spurtings from the commits
sary building and others from The
mesa beyond to show that the surprise
WAS baked in both directions.
They must have had scouts out,
was Smiths word to the sheriff, Wht
was cautiously accommodating the new
~ developed situation from the shell
ter of the canal trench. They ar
evidently ready for US, and that knock
your plan in the head. Your mel
can't cross these stagings under fire.
"Your 'wops' are all right, anyway,
said Harding. They're pouring out o
the bunk houses and that saloon owe
there and taking to the hills like
flock O scared chickens" Then t
his men: Scatter out, boys, and &c
the range on that commissary sheC
That's where most of the rustlers ar
cached"
Two days earlier, two hours earlier
perhaps, Smith would have begged
weapon and flung himself into tn
fray with blood lust binding him t
everything save the battle demands o
the moment. But now the final mile
stone in the long road Of his metamol
phosis had been passed and the dark
some valley Of elemental passions wa
left behind.
Hold up a minute, for Gods sake
he pleaded hastily. "We've got to Civ
them a show, Harding! The chance
are that every man in that commi:
sary believes that MGraw has the La
on his side-and we are not sure tina
he hasn't. Anyway, they don't kno'
that they are trying to stand off
: sheriff's posse!"
Harding's chuckle was sardoni
"You mean that we'd ought to go owe
yonder and read the riot act to 'el
first? That might do back In tn
> country where you came from. b
the man that can get into that cam
over there with the serving paper
now'd have to be armor-plated.
, reckon"
Just the same, we've got to giy
them their chance" Smith insiste
, doggedly. I'VE can't stand for an
e unnecessary bloodshed-I won't star
!. for it!'
Harding shrugged his heavy shou
e ders. "One round into that sheet-iro
commissary shack'll bring 'em to tin
and nothing else will. I hain't g
: any men to throw away on the de'
dabs and furbelows.'
t Smith sprang up and held out b
y hand.
f You have at least one man TIL
:. you can spare, Mr.. Harding"
r snapped. "Give me those papers. l
r 90 over and serve them
S At this the big sheriff promptly 10
: his temper.
r You blamed fool" he burst OF
e You'd be dog-meat before you cou
t get ten feet away from this ditch"
e "Never mind: give me those paper
e I'm not going to stand by quietly al
see a lot of men shot down on Il
e chance of misunderstanding"
t Take 'em, them" rasped Hardin
d meaning nothing more than the ca
e Ing of a foolish theorists bluff.
Gath rouoht of rho warrants. al