The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1919-04-19
SYNOPSIS.


CHAPTER TX. C. Rickard an engl-
neer OF the Overland Pacific, is called to
the office of President. Marshall in Tue
son, Ari2 Casey" Is an enigma to the
but he had resigned a chair of engineer,
ing in the East 10 go on the road as a
fireman and his promotion had been spec
tacular. While waiting for Marshall Rick
ard reads n report on the ravages of the
Colorado despite the efforts of Thomas
Hardin of the Desert Reclamation COM
pany. This Hardin had been student
under Richard and had married Gerty
Holmes, with whom Rickard had fancied
he was in love.
CHAPTER II-Marshall tells Rickard
the Overland Pacific has got to step In
to save the Imperial Valley and sends
him to the break. Rlckard declines be-
n he does q Son not wan % top Se ryer
damn the expense" says Marshall.
CHAPTER 1IT-Rickard journeys TO
Calexico. sees the irrigated desert and
,edSns much about Hardin and his work
CHAPTER Wat the hotel he meets
Mr.. and Mrs: Hardin and lnnes Hardin.
Hardin's half sister. Disappointed in her
husband and an. incorrigible coquette,
Mrs. Hardin sets her cap for her former
lover and invites him to dinner.
CHAPTER v-Rickard visits the COM
pany's offices and takes control. He finds
the engineers loyal to Hardin and hos
tile TO him. Estrada, Mexican. son OF
the Father of the Imperial Valley" tells
him OF the general situation.
CHAPTER vI-Rickard attends a
meeting of the directors and asserts his
authority Hardin RACES Estrada tells
Rickard of his foreboding that his work
will fail. II can't see 1t finished"
The working force was Informally
discussed. Hardin said they could de-
pend on hobo labor. Rickard agreed
that they would find such help. but it
would not do to rely on it, The big
sewer system of New Orleans was
about completed; he had planned to
write there, stating the need. And
there was man In Zacatecas, named
Porter
"Frank Porter?" sneered Hardin,
"that-murderer?"
"His brother" Rickard answered
pleasantly. "Jim furnishes the men
for the big mines In Sonora and Sina-
loa. He'll send us all the labor we
want, the best for our purpose. When
it gets red-hot, there's no one like u
peon or an Indian.
you'll be infringing on the interna-
tional contract law" suggested Mac
Lean.
mo. The camp is on the Mexican
side" laughed Casey. "Td thought of
that. Wen have them shipped to the
nearest Mexican point, and then
brought to the border. Mr.. Estrada
will help u.s."
The meeting had already adjourned.
They were standing around the fiat
top desk. Estrada invited them all to
lunch with him, in the car on the sid
ing. MacLean said that he had 10 get
back to Los Angeles. Mr.. Babcock
was going to take him out to Grants
Heading in the machine. He mad new
er been there. They had breakfasted
late. He looked very much the colonel
to Rickard, his full chest and stiff car
riage made more military by his trim
uniform of khald-colored cloth.
'May l speak to you about your boy,
Mr.. MacLeanT
Hardin caught slight that was not
intended. He pushed past the group
at the door without ciyillty or cere-
mony.
The steady grave eyes of the big
frame looked at Richard inqulrlnely.
''IIe wants TO stay out another year.
/ hope you will let him. It's NOT dlsln-
terested. / shall have to take stenog- ,
rapher to the Heading this summer.
There IS a girl here; / couldn't take |
her, and then, too, I'm Old-fashioned |
don't like women in Offices. My posi- |
ton promises to be II peculiar one. I'd |
like TO have your son TO rely on for |
emergencies Il stenOgrapher could not |
cover"
MacLean's grave features relaxed as |
he looked down on the engineer, who |
was no small man himself, and sug- |
gested that his son was not very well |
up In stenography.
"Thats the least Of it,"
81 hope that he will make n good |
stenographerl Good morning gentle.
men,"
At table, neither Estrada nor his
guest uncovered their active thought
which revolyed around Hardin and his
hurt. Instead, Rlckard had questions
to ask his host on river history. AS |
they talked, II came TO him that some
thing was amiss-Estrada was nc.
curate; he had all his facts. Was Il
enthusiasm, sympathy, lie lacked? Pres
emily he challenged him with II.
Estrada's eyes dreamed out Of the
window, followed the gorge of the New
river, as though out there. somewhere.
the answer lowered.
"Do you mean, do you doubt it?" ex-
claimed Rickard watching the melan-
chOly in the beautiful eyes.
Estrada shook his head but without
decision. Nothing you'd not laugh at.
j can laugh at It myself, sometimes"
Rlckard waited, not sure that any
thing more was coming. The Mexi-
cans dark eyes were troubled; a puzzle
brooded In them. "It's a purely mega.
tive sense that I've had. since / was a
~.