The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1919-05-17

backs, but II tore Mt their hats, pulled
nt their tempers. Their eyes were
full Of street dust.
A fash OF light as they were leav-
Ing town frightened the thick dust
clouds. "What was thnt7" cried Gerty.
She was ready for any calamity now.
mot lightnlng?" Again, the queer
light flashed across the obscured sky.
Tom reused himself TO growl that he
hadn't seen anything And the drcnry
| farce went on.
lines partner was young Sutcliffe,
| the English zanjero. He was In the
qucksand Of n comparison between
English and American women, Innes
mischievously conxing him Into deeper
waters, when there wns n blockade
Of buggies ahead OF them.
"The A Il @ ranch" cried Innes,
peerlng through the vcil OF dust AT
the queer unreal outlines OF fences
and trees. ats our first stop"
"Oh, l say. that's too bnd," began
Sutclffe. Inncs wns already on the
road. her skirts whipped by the wind
Into clinging drapery.
Gerty's party found itself dlsorgnn-
lied. Partners were trying to find
or lose cach other. "Gct In here T.
lnnes heard the voice of Estrada be-
hind her. He had top buggy. She
hailed refuge.
"Snlendldw she cried. "What q
relief" Climbing In, she said: ~
hope ihis Isn't upsetting Ccgty's ar
nngcmcnt."
Arrangement Look AZ them -
The women were fastening out OF the
dust swirl into any haven that OF.
fcred. With little screams Of dismay,
they ran Ike rabbits TO cover,
Gerty found herself with IIlnn. AZ
the next stop there WIS block of
buggles. mo use changing ngaln %
She acknowledged herself beaten.
Lets go on. What are they stopping
forw Dismal farce 1t nll WIS!
She WIS pushing bnck her disheart-
ened clals when the beut OF horses
hoofs back OF them brought tie blood
back Into her wind-chiileh c.IceAa.
"Rlckarl!" she thought. "iie must
have come In speclnlp The gloom
suddenly 1isrorged MacLean.
"Iaidnl Where Is tei'
"Whnt's upT yelled BlInn. as II
the rlvcr?" MncLcan's face answered
him. Iis ranch secured again-"Goa
Almighty"
"The river!" screamed the women.
The men were surrounding MncLean.
whose horse was prancing as II with
the Importance OF having carried
Revere. '"rhe leveel" chilled Mac
Lean. where's Hardn7" He spurred
his mare toward Hardin, who was
blacker than Napoleon at Austerlltz.
you're needed. They're all need
ed" The other voices broke In. the
men pressing up. This threatened
them all. Blinn's ranch lay In the
ravaged sixth district. Nothing would
save him. Youngberg belonged to
water company number one; their
bitches would go. Hollistcr and VIII
son of the palo Verde saw ruin amend
of them. Each man was vlsnallzlng
the mad onward sweep of that de-
power. Like ghosts, the
women huddled In the dust-blowR
road.
"Where Is II now?" demanded Blinn.
'It's here, right on us. You're all
needed at the levee," bawled Mac
Lean.
The levee! There was n dash for
buggies. a scraping OF wheels, the |
whinnying of frightened horses. Some
one recalled the flashes OF light they |
had seen on leaving town. "Whnt |
were those lights-signals?"
"From the water-tower." MncLean's |
voice split the wind. "The wires are
all down between the Crossing and the
owns. Coronel was on the tower-he
got the signal from the Headlng-hes
)een there each night for week I"
This was n great night--for his chief,
ilckardi
Gerty Hardin caught tho thrill of
'is hero-worshlp. How splendid, how
triumphant!
Innes found herself In her brothers
,uggy. Ills horse, under the whip,
lashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
I back on its hqunches. narrowly
Iverting jam. "Wheres Mae
.eanf" q
The boy rode back. who's call
ne met"
Give me your horse" demanded
Iardin. "You take my sister homer
Gerty Hardins party wns torn like
bow of useless fnery. Facing u,e
gind now, no one could talk; no one
'anted to talk. Each was threshIng
ut his own thoughts; personal ruin
tared them In the face. Every man
'as remembering that reckless ex.
osed cut of Hardln's; plnnlng their
ope to that ridiculcd lcvee. The
orses broke Into reckless gallon,
he buggies lurchlng wildly as they .
odged one another. The axles I
reaked and strained. The wind tore /
way the hats or the women, rent
leir DrpttV chiffon yeIIs 4