Mexico Missouri message., 1917-11-01

From the quarry cutting the view
struck out by the camp nastheads was
unobstructed. The dam and the un-
completed power house, still figuring
to the eye as skeleton, masses of form
timberlng, lay just below them, and
on the hither side the flooding tor
rent thun6ered through the spillway
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 its 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 q 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 a 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. If
they amt lookin' for us"
The interruption was the whining
song of a jacketed bullet passing over
head, followed by the crack of a rifle.
"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 he
said 1t q sharp fusillade 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, who
was cautiously accommodating the new
ly developed situation from the shell
ter Of the canal trench. "They are
evidently ready for us, and that knocks
your plan In the head. Your men
can't cross these stagings under fire."
"Your 'wops' are all right, anyway"
said Harding. They're pouring out of
the bunk houses and that saloon over
there and taking to the hills like a
flock o. scared chickens" Then to
his men: "Scatter out, boys, and get
the range on that commissary shed
That's where most Of the rustlers are
cached"
Two days earlier, two hours earlier
perhaps, Smith would have begged g
weapon and flung himself into the
fray with blood lust binding him tt
, everything save the battle demands Of
the moment. But now the final mile
stone in the long road of his metamor
: phosis had been passed and the dark
: some valley of elemental passions wal
: left behind.
"Hold up a minute, for Gods sake =
he pleaded hastily. "We've got to Civ,
them a show, Hardingl The chance
: are that every man in that commits
!, sary believes that MGraw has the Law
on his side-and we are not sure tha
he hasn't. Anyway, they don't knov
that they are trying to stand of
: sheriff's possep
). Harding's chuckle was sardonlt
"You mean that we'd ought to go owe
y yonder and read the riot act to 'eI
D. first? That might do back in tn
= country where you came from. Bu
the man that can get into that cam
\ over there with the serving paper
II now'd have to be armor-plated,
y reckon"
l. "Just the same, we've got to Civ
. them their chancep Smith insiste
o doggedly. 1--WE can't stand for an
: unnecessary bloodshed-I won't stan
< for It'll"
Harding shrugged his heavy shou
e ders. zone round into that sheet-iro
"a cOmmissary shack1l bring 'em to tim
= and nothing else will. hain't g
any men to throw away on the dev
dabs and furbelows."
1t Smith sprang up and held out h
y hand.
"YOu have at least one man thu
t. you can spare, Mr.. Harding" l
r snapped. "Give me those papers. I
u go over and serve them"
IS At this the big sheriff promptly To-
< his temper.
II "You blamed foolw he burst ou
70 HUo,,bd ho hafnra Won aOul