The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-09-05
CHAPTER XII.
Hardin's Luck.

Two days later there was a shock Of
earthquake, so slight that the tapping
Of the water In Richards bath was his
lnttmation Of the earth's uneasiness.
In the dining room later he found ev.
eryone discussing it. "Who could re-
member an earthquake in that desert1"
THE flrst shaker
During the morning. unfathered, as
eumors are born. the whisper Of dis
aster somewhere spread. Their own
slight shock was the edge Of the con-
vnlsion which had been serious else
where, no one knew quite where, or
why they knew 1t ut all. The men
who were shoveling earth on the levee
began to talk Of San Francisco. Some
one said that morning that the city
vas badly hurt. No one could confirm
che rumor. but it grew with the day.
Richard met it at the Office late in
the afternoon. He went direct to the
telegraph operators desk.
"Get Los Angeles, the o. p. Office.
And be quick about it,"
In ten minutes he was talking to
Babcock. Babcock said that the dam
age by the earthquake to that city was
not known, but it was afire. San Jose
had confirmed it. Oakland had report
ed the flames creeping up the resi-
dence hills of that gay Western city.
Cinders We're already falling in the
transbay town.
Richard dropped the receiver.
"Where's Hardin?"
Tom Hardin emerged from a knot
Of men who were talking in corner
by the door.
where's that machineryT
"What machinery"
Richard saw the answer to his cues
lion in the others face.
THE dredge machinery. Did you
attend to that? Did you send for it ?"
"Oh, yes, that's all right It's all
right"
us it hereT'
Hardin attempted POPULARITY. "I
didn't know as you wanted it here. l
ordered it sent to Yuma"
us it at Yuma?"
Hardin admitted that it was not vet
bad written; oh, it was all right
"When did you wrte?"
Hardin Redeemed under the cate
chism Of questions He resented be-
ing held up before his men The 9TH
ers felt the electricity in the air. Har-
din and his successor were glarins at
each other like belligerents
u
yesterday"
yesterday" Richard ripped out
IN oath. Yesterday. Why at all, I'd
ike to know? Did you understand
that you were ordered to get that
here? Now. it's gone
"Gone!' The others crowded up.
"San Francsico's burning" He
walked into his inner office. mad clear
through. He was not thinking of the
ruin of the gay young city: not
.hought yet did he have of the human
tragedies enacting there: of homes.
dives, fortunes swept into that huge
bonfire. AS it affected the work at the
liver. the first block to his campaign,
he catastrophe came home to him. He
had picture Of tortured, twisted
iron, OF ruined machinery, the ma
chine-y for his dredge He saw 1t lying
like spent LAGOON. writhing in its
last struggle. He blamed himself for
leaving even such a small detail as the
Fastening OF the parts to Hardin's
care. for Hardin wasn't TT to be trust.
ID for anything. No one could tell
him now the man was unlucky: he
vas fool. A month wasted, and
days were precious. A month? Months.
Uardin's luck. Oh. he'll!
Then he began to speculate as he
cooled over the trouble up yonder, A
whole city burning? They would sure
" get 1t under control. He began to
think Of the isolation; the telegraph
wires all down. That might happen
anywhere! He walked to the door
and looked thoughtfully at the com.
pany's big water tower. That wasn't
such bad idea, He picked Up his
hat. and went out.
CHAPTER XIII.