The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-03-07
When the Colorado
Burst It's Banks and
Flooded The Imperial
Valley d California

q California
aossvssA& sssss-nninos.ssy,
| towns and the Crossing; . director Of
the nesert Reclamation company. and
the head Of Z small Subsidiary com-
pany which had been created to pro-
tect rights and keep harmonious rela-
ton with the sister country. Richard
found him foil Of meat. and heard, for
the nrst time c0nsecutively. the story
OF the rakish river. Particularly In
teresting to him was the relation of
Hardin 70 the company.
He has the bad lack, that man! J"
exclaimed Estradais soft, musical
voice. Everything II In his hands,
capital - promised, and he goes to
New York to have the papers drawn
mp. The day he gets there the Maine
is destroyed. OF course capital is shy.
He's had the devils own luck with
men: Clifford, honest but mulish;
Sather, mulish and not honest-eh.
there's . string Of them. Once he
went to Hefmosillo to get An option on
my fathers lands. They were already
covered BY m option held BY some
men In Scotland. Another man would
have waited for the three months to
pass. Not Hardin. He went to Scot
land, thought he'd interest those men
with his maps and papers, He owned
all the data then. He'd made the sur
vey."
Estrada repeated the story Brandon
and Marshall had told. with little dts
crepancy. A friendly refrain followed
the narrative. HE has the bad luck.
that mani"
"And the Scotched optioAf' remind
ed Richard, smiling at his own poor
joke.
ut WAS just that. A case Of Hardin
luck again. He stopped on In London
to interest sone capital there: follow
ING up . lead developed On the steam
er. He was never . man to neglect .
chance. Nothing came Of 4, though.
and when he reached Glasgow no
found his man had died two days be-
fors-or been killed. I've forgotten
which. Three times Hardin's crossed
the ocean trying to corner the oppor-
tunity he thought he had found. It
isn't laxiness. II his trouble. It's just
Internal luck"
"Or over-astuteness, Or ~procfastina-
tton," criticized his listener to himself.
He knew now what Il was that had
% changed Hardin. A man cannot
travel. I'VE though be be bounding
down . quick scent. without meeting
strong Influences. He had been thrown
with hard men. strong men. Il was
IN Inevitable chiseiing, not . miracle.
II want to hear more Of this anne
day. But this map. don't uAder-
stand What you told me q thls By
pass. NJ. Estrada.
Thels heads we're still beading over
Bak1ada's rough work beneh when the
fJapanees cook announced that dinner
was waiting IN the adjolning ear.
AacLeaA and Bodefeldt and several
youns engineers Joined then.
Z had been outwardly . wasted day.
Richard bad loansed, socially and
physically. HIT befors 10 turnsd In
that night he had learned IL names
and dispositions Of his force. aad
some Of their prejudicea. Nothing, 10
summed Mp. could BE- guessed from the
gentlehess Of the Mexican's manner;
Wooster's antagonism was open and
snappish. Silent was 70 BE- watched.
and Hardin had already shown his
hand.
The river. y h thought q Il %.
poarc0 tho least formidable e hls Op-
poaents. h ~ imagins it . Z high
spirited hofsa, maddsned b. the fam
bllag q II would-bs captors. His tax
4 va g lasso the proud stallicn. Lead
4 = 4hri6lsd - TIE sterile 4ena No
wonder Haf1in was sore: hfs moose
nd sllpped on Nj time too manyi
Hardln's luck!