Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-03-27

Oooo'c Lach uoSt Oh inc WY 6luln8A
every three miles. Rock must bs
rushed; the trains must be pushed
through. He itched to begin. 1t never
occurred to him that, like Hardin, he
might fail.
Though It's no pink tea" he told
himself. tits no picnic" At TucsoB
he knew that the situation was
grave one. but his talk with Brandon,
who knew his river as does good In.
dian. made the year q significant,
eventful one. Matt Hamlin, too, whose
shrewd eyes had grown rlver-wise. he.
too, had had tales to tell of the tricky
river. MaldOnado. tho half.breed. had
confirmed their portents while they sat
together under his olennder, famous
throughout that section of the cOun-
try. And powerfully had Cornel, the
Indian who had piloted Estrada's party
across the desert, whom Richard had
met at the Crossing. deeply had he i'm
pressed him. The river grew into q
malevolent. mocking personality; he
could see 1t a dragon Of yellow waters,
dragging its slow, sluggish length
across the baked desert snnds; deceiv-
Ing men by its inertness; Turing the
explorer by mild mood to rise sud-
denly with its wild fellow, the ella,
sending boat and boatmen to their
swift doom.
Richard was thinking Of the half
breed. MaldonadO. as he inspected the
new stretch of levee between the
towns. He had heard from others be-
sides Estrada Of the river knowledge
of this descendant of trapper and
squaw, and had thought 1t worth while
to ride the twenty miles from down
the river to talk with him. The mans
suavity, his narrow Sits of eyes, the
lips thin and facile. deep lines of cru.
city falling from Them had repelled
his visitor. The mystery Of the place
followed him. Why the 'dobe wall
which completely surrounded the
small, low dwellings? Why the cnu-
tlOus admittunce, the atmosphere Of
suspicion? Richard had seen the wife.
frightened shadow of woman; had
seen her finch when the brute called
for her. He had questioned Cor'nel
about the hAlf-breed. He was remem.
bering the wrinkles of contempt on the
old Indians face us he delivered him.
self Of an Oracular grunt.
"Whitc man? No. Indian? Mol
Coyotew
Though he suspected Mnldonado
would lie on principle. though it might
be that two.thirds of his glib tissue
were false, yet thread of truth co.
incident with the others, Brandon and
Hamlin and Cor'nel. might be pulled
out Of his romantic fabric.
"When the waters OF the Gin RIM
red look out Tor troubled" He doubt
ed that they ever ran red. He would
ask Cor'nel. He had also spoken Of
cycle, known to Indians, of hun.
dredth year. when the Dragon grows
restless; this he had declared was 4
hundredth year.
Following his talk with 'Maldopado
and the accidental happy chance meet
Ing with Coronel mt the Crossing Rick
ard had written his first report to Tod
Marshall. Before he had come TO tho
Heading he had expected to advise
against the completion Of the wooden
headgate at the Crossing Hamlin
had given him new viewpoint. There
was fighting chance. And he wanted
to be fair. Next to being successful
he wanted to be fair.
"It's time to be hearing from Mar
SHALL" Richard was thinking, as he
walked back to the hotel II wonder
what he will say" He felt 1t had
been fair to put 1t up to Marshall;
personally, he would like to begin with
a clean slate-begin right. Clumsy
work had been done, 1t was true. yet
there were urgent reasons now for
haste; and the gate was nearly half
done! He had gone carefully over
the situation. The heavy snowfall. I'M
precedented for years, hundred. &C.
cOrding to the Indians-On the Wind
Rover mOuntains-the lakes swollen
with ice. the Giln restless. the summer
floods yet to be met; perhaps. he now
thought, he had been Overfair In en-
phasizing the arguments for the head
gate. For the hundred feet were now
thousand feet-yet he had spoken
Of that to Marshall: Calculate for
yourself the difference In expense
since the food widened the break. 1t
Is q vastly different problem now.
Disaster island, which they figured on
for anchor. Is a mere pit OF corroding
sugar in the channel An infant Col
orado could wash it away. However.
lot Of work has already been done.
and lot Of money spent. There is a
fighting chance. Perhaps the bad year
Is all Indian talk"
A guess, at best, whatever they did!
1t was pure gamble what the tricky
Colorado would do. Anyway. he had
given the whole situation to Marshall.
In his box Mt the hotel was tele-
gram which had been sent over from
the office-from Tod Marshall. "Take
the fighting chance. But remember to
speak more respectfully Of Indians"
Marshall all over" laughed his SUBJ
ordinate "Now it's n case Of hustle!