Cheyenne record., 1919-08-28
CHAPTER XIV.
On the levee.

Hardin dld pOt go nome tnat night.
lie was feeling 81 the quick the irony
of his position; his duty now to pro-
tect the levee he'd ridiculed; now the
only hope of the towns The Integrity
OF the man never faltered, though his
thoughts ran wild. Like the relentless
hounds of ActaeOn. they pursued him.
barking Mt his vanity.
He started the anxious ranchers at
sacking sand BOdefeldt ran up to tell
him that there was hill of filed
sacks over in Mexicali. "Rickard had
n bunch of Indians working for
week"
The confusion OF the shy fellow did
not escape Hardin. Oh. he knew what
Rodefeldt was thinking. what every
one was saying! They were all laugh
ing at him. The coincidence of this
extraordinary flood had upheld Rick
ards wild guess haloed his Judgment.
II was all piece of his Internal luck.
Sickening, that's what 1t wasl His
orders scattered. He ran up and down
the levee, giving orders; recalling
them when he found he wns repeating
Richards.
This new humiliation. coming on the
heels of the drcdge fiasco. put him in
eXecrAhlc temper He shouted his or
ders over the noises of the night. He
rated the men, bullied them. No one
did anything right Lord what he
had to put up with The other men,
the rnnchcrs and engineers. saw In
his excitement certainty of the valleys
ioUIn.
The wind AID the darkness con-
-;buted to the confusion. Eager
5hovcls were tossing up earth before
anyone could tell where the danger
point would be. The water was not
yet high enough to determine the place
II battle. Sacked sand was being
brought over from Mexicali. Fifty
pair of hands made short work Of
Richards chill" Lanterns were flash
ng through the darkness like restless
lrefles. The wind and rushing water
ieadened the sound of the voices. 1t
was battle of giants against pyG-
mics. In the darkness. the giants
threatened to conquer
At three in the morning. Il horsemnn
ode in from FasSettS, one of the big
ranches to the north, cnt by the New
ivcr.
The river Ia cutting back" he
allied through the din, cutting back
Nward the towns"
A turn in the gorge. careless
lump-pit had pulled the river like II
mad horse back on its launches. 1t
vas kicking back.
They nre short-handed up there
They need help"
Dynamite" cried Silent and Har-
tIn additionally. They happened to
ne standing near.
I'VE must have dynamite" bawled
anrd!n. Are the wires down between
here and Rrawlcy2' We must get Il
wire somehow to Los Angeles. to rush
down here this morning"
ITS here. There Is carload on
he siding. yelled Silent.
Hardin did not need to ask by
whose orders it was there. An angry
-cowI spoiled his face.
Put some on the machine" He
vas turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr.
Hardin think ii was safe? There was
no road between the towns and Fas-
sctt's. The night. the cxplosive-should
they not wait till morning? The ques-
,i"n threw his late chief into n rage.
Ibid l ask you to take it?" 1t was
The opening for his fury. safe! VIII
he towns he safe If the river cuts back
acre? The channel has got to be
sidcuvd. and you talk OF your own
T"CiuuS skin Wait till | ask you to
.aHc il. Get out the machine. I'll take
= 70 Fassett's myself"
Silent left the lcvee Smarting. He
nckpd the machine out of the shed
Lnd sped through the darkness toward
EvNiCali, where the car of explosives
su. Isolated.
Hardin, buttoned up to the ears, mis-
taft hat pulled tight over his forehead.
~as wait!IY iinpatiently. Here was
something &c as done. he coveted the
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