The Elbert County tribune., 1919-04-04

whinnying Of frightened Aorsea DSu1
ono recalled the flashes Of Light they
had seen on leaving town. -whae
were those lights-signals7
From the water-tower.- MacLean's
voice split the wind. The wires are
all down between the Crossing and ths
towns. Coronel was on the tower-he
got the signal from the Heading-he's
been there each night for weekr"
This was great night-for his chief.
RIckardi
Gerty Hardin caught the thrill of
his hero-worship. How splendid. how
triumphant
lines found herself In her brothers
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
1t back on its launches, narrowly
averting JAM ''where's Mac
Learn
The boy rode back. "who's call
Ing me?"
"Give me your horse" demanded
Hardin. "You take my sister home"
Gerty Hardin's party was torn like
bow OF useless finery. Facing the
wind now, no one could talk: no one
wanted to talk. Each was threshins
out his own thoughts; personal ruin
stared them In the fnce- Every man
was remembering that reckless er
posed cut OF Hardin's: pinning their
hope to that ridiculed levce. The
horses broke into reckless gallop
the buggies lurching wildly as they
lodged one another. The axles
creaked and strnined. The wind tore
away the hats of the women. rent
their pretty chiffon wells.
The dusty road was peopled with
dark formless shapes. The signals
had spread the alarm; the desert
world was fiocking to the gorge of the
New river. to the ievee.
The women were dumped without
ceremony on the sidewalk. under the
screened bird cnge of the Desert
hotel. Shivering, her pretty teeth
chattering. Gerty Hardin usheret
them into the deserted hall. Ths
Chinese cook snored away his vigil in
nn armchair by the open fire. The
men had rushed away to the levee.
women must wait" Gerty's laugh
| was hysterical. ave Gun do no good
down there" She threw herself, con
scious Of heroineship. into the ordeal
of her spoilt entertainment.
II was always m incoherent dream
to Inncs Hardin, that wild ride home
ward. the lurching scrnping buggies
the apprehensive silence. this budding
Of women like scared rabbits around q
table that had else been gay. The
women's teeth shivered over the ices
Their faces looked CHASTITY by the light
shed by Gerty's green shades. Shs
wished she were at the levee. She
simply must go to the levee. I'm go
Ing to get a wrap" she threw to Gerty
as she passed. II left 1t in the hail."
She stole through the deserted of
flee, past the white and silver sods
fountain. and out into the speedini
blur of the night. Formless shapes
soft-footed, passed her. AS she spec
past the French windows of the din
Ing room she could get n view OF the
shattered party.
Innes made dive into the darkness
There was dim outline of hastenina
figures In front of her. She coule
hear some one breathing heavily b.
her side. They kept apace, stumbling
occasionally. the moving gloom betray
Ing their feet. A man came runnin,
back toward the town. "It's cuttins
backw He cried. Nothing but IL
ievee will save the towns !"
The leveel
| The harsh breathing followed her
AS they passed the wretched hut Of
Mexican gambler. . sputtering liRAl
shOne out. Innes looked back. Shs
saw the wrinkled face of Coronei, whx
had left his water tower. His blacA
coarse hair was streaming in th4
wind. his mouth. ajar. wns express
sionless, though the fulfllment Of ths
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splotches of green and rex
paint rested q curious dignity. Ths
Indian was to come again into his own
What was his own, she questioned
as her feet stumbled over Ioosenet
boarding. ditch crossing she had no,
seen. More corn, perhaps more hers
stun to wash down the corni Mors
white mans money in the brown
mans pocket-that, his happiness
Why should he not thank the gods.
His gods were speakingl For wher
the waters of the great river ran bacl
to the desert. the long ago outraged
gods were no longer angry. The towns
might go, but the great Indian godi
were showing their good will
She Joined group MT the levee
winding her veil over mouth and fore
head. Dark shapes swayed near her
The wind was making havoc Of thu
mad waters rushing down from ths
channel. The noise of wind and wa
ters was appalling. Strange lout
voices came through the din. of In
dians. Mexicans; cultural sounds. Mer
ran past her, carrying shovels, puilins