The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-09-05

4 whtnuyin8 VI fflRb.eheu Am..
one recalled !hs flashes Of light shes
had seen On leaving town. "sYis
were those lights--signals9
"From the water.tower." Maci.ean's
voice split the wj3d. 1.-THE wires are
all down between the Crossing aud the
towns. Coronel was on the tOwer-hs
got the signal from the Heading-he1
been there each night for q week !"
This was great night for his chief.
Rickardl
0erty Hardin caught the thrill If
his hero-worship. How splendid. how
triumphant!
Innes found herself In her brothers
buggy. His horse. under the whin.
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
It back ON it, launches, narrowly
averting a jam. where's Mac.
Learn
The boy rode back. "who's eall.
ing met!
'Give me your horse" demanded
Hardin. you take my sister home"
Gerry Hardin's party was torn like
. bow Of useless 1nery. Facing the
wind now. no one could talk; no one
wanted to talk. Each was threshing
out his own thoughts personal rain
stared them in the face. Every man
was remembering that reckless ex-
posed cut Of Hardsn's: pinning their
hope to that ridiculed levee. The
horses broke into . reckless gailop.
the buggies lurching wildly ~ they
lodged one another. The axles
creaked and strained. 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 docking to the gorge Of the
New river. to the levee.
The women were dumped without
ceremony on the sidewalk, under the
screened bird cage Of the Desert
hotel. Shivering, her pretty teeth
chattering. Gerty Hardin ushered
them into the deserted hall. The
Chinese cook snored away his vigil In
an armchair BY the open IRE. The
men had rushed away to the levee.
women must watt" Gerty's laugh
was hysterical. I'VE can do no good
down there" She threw herself. con.
sc'ous Of heroineship. into the ordeal
Of her spoilt entertainment.
1t was always an incoherent dream
to 1nnes Hardin. that wild ride home
ward. the lurching scraping buggiea,
the apprehensive silence, this huddlins
Of women like scared rabbits around
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. She
wished she were at the levee. She
simply must 60 to the levee. I'm 60
Ing to get wrap" she threw to Gerty
as she passed. II left it in the hail."
She stole through the deserted Of.
hce. past the white and silver soda
fountain, and out into the speeding
blur of the night. Formless shapes.
soft-footed, passed her. As she sped
past the French windows of the din.
ing room she could get a view of the
shattered party.
lines made a dive into the darkness
There was a dim outline of Fastening
figures In front of her. She could
hear some one breathing heavily by
her side. They kept apace, stumbling,
occasionally, the moving gloom betray.
ing their feet. A man came running
back toward the town. ITS CUTTING
back" He cried. Nothing but the
levee will save the towns!"
The levee!
The harsh breathing followed her.
AS they passed the wretched hut OF q
Mexican gambler. suffering light
shone out. lines looked back. she
saw the wrinkled face of Coronel. who
had left his water tower. His black
coarse hair was streaming in the
wind. his mouth. ajar. was expires.
sionless. though the fulflment Of the
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splotches Of green and red
paint rested curious dignity. The
Indian was to come again into his own.
What was his own, she questioned,
as her feet stumbled over loosened
boarding. ditch crossing she had not
seen. More corn, perhaps more fiery
stuff to wash down the corn! More
white mans money in the brown
mans pocket-that. his happiness.
Why should he not thank the gosisi
His gods were speakingl For when
the waters of the great river ran back
to the desert. the long ago outraged
gods were no longer angry. The towns
might 60, but the great Indian gods
were showing their good will!
She Joined group at the levee,
winding her veil over mouth and fore
head. Dark shapes swayed near her.
The wind was making havoc Of the
mad waters rushing down from the
channel. The noise of wind and wa
tiers was appalling. Strange loud
voices came through the din. Of In.
dams. Mexicans: cultural sounds. Men
ran past her, carrying shovels. pulling