The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-08-01

powerful face.
"Estrada's business methods were
then not different from Sather's and
Hardin's" 1t was a deep. rich organ.
"Oh. you can't class Hardin with
Sather." protested Richards compan.
ion. "Sather used Hardin. Hardin's
honesty cannot be questioned. It's not
moneys he's after. His whole heart
is in this reclamation scheme"
"Hardin's false ALARM" growled
the owner Of the massive head. "He
makes promises. He never keeps
them"
The older mans smile was tolerant.
Barton" he indicated. "is the presi-
dent Of the water companies. And II
you want to hear about a rogue and a
scOundrel ask the water companies
their opinion Of Hardin"
"Well. what sort Of q hole has he
got us into?" demanded the other with
heat.
"Hardin's in hole himself
mo one seems to remember that he
crucified himself to save the VALLEY
! VIC a 6hedl AcSReSt lux AHousoS hdI'
din"
"Yes?" returned Richard. whose Xix
ing had been captured by the speaker.
The impression Of distinction sharp
ened. The stranger wore Numbered
pongee silk shirt open ut the neck but
restricted by brown silk tie; and it
was trinity belted. There were but
two neckties in the entire Cur, and
they occupied. Richard observed. the
same seat.
1.-THE beginning of the canal sys.
tenn"
Richard looked out upon a nat. one
toned country, marked of in rec.
tansles by plows and scrapers. Far.
Their south these rectangles were edged
by young willows. He fancied he
could see, even at that distance, the
CLEAN Of water.
1t was the passing Of the desert. A
few miles back he had seen the desert
in its primitive nakedness. which not
even cactus relieved. He was passing
over the land which man and horses
We're preparing for water. And he
could see the land where water was.
THAT was the way Riverside looked
when first saw it," commented the
other man who wore tie. "Come out
on the rear platform. We can see bet
ter"
Richard followed to the back of the
dust-swept. sitting car. The glare on
the platform was intense. He stood
watching the newly made checkerboard
Of a country slip past him. Receding
were the two lines Of cleaning steel
rails which connected and separated
him from the world outside. He was
going ill.," Not in Mexico even had
he such feeling Of ultimate remote
ness. The mountains, cOnverging per-
>pectively toward the throat of the
valley, looked elusive and unreal in
their gauze draperies of rose and viO-
let. The tender hour of day was cloth
in: them with mystery. softening their
sharp outlines. They curtalned the
world beyond. Richard felt the sus-
pense of the next act.
1t was torpid imagination. he
thought, which would not quicken over
this conquest of the desert. East of
the tract men and teams were prepar-
ing the newly furrowea ground for the
seed. The curved land knives were
breaking up the rich mold into ridges
Of soft soil us unculleSiVe and feathery
as pulveciZed chocolate. 1t was the
dark color OF the chocolate of com
nerce. this silt which had been pill
Tered from the states through which
The vagrant river wandered. The smell
If the upturned earth, Sweetly damp
struck against his noSirils. Richard
INDUCED minute of whimsical fancy
this WAS California territory over
which his train was passing, but the
soil, that dark earth those blades were
crumblinS. was it not the tribute of
other states, of dc>poiling Wyoming
Of ravishinS Colorado and Arizona:
To the west new squares We're being
leveled and outlined Shruhhy rec
tangieS We're being cleared of their ere
osote bush and tough mesquite. Com
pared with other countries. the prepa
ration for planting WAS the simplest
Horses were dragging over the grounL
a railroad rail bent into V angle
which pulled the bushes by the root.
and dragged them out Of the way. BE
yond, farther west. could be seen tn.
untouched desert. The surface fol
many miles was cracked by water
lines, broken and baked into irregular
sand cakes; the mark Of sand which
? has been imprisoned by water ant
l branded by swift heat.
Close by men were putting in with
I care the seed that was to quicken tn,
: river silt. They were passing a squar,
whore the green tips of the grail
/ were piercing the ground. Now the,
were abreast Of field of matured III
Il fa!fa over which the wind raced crate
l fully. Desert and grain field: dealt
: and life. The panorama embraced tn
5 whole cycle.
They went back to their seats. Ate