Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-02-07
CHAPTER II.
A Bit of OratorY.

the morning paper on his desk. He
aimed his burned-out cigar at the near
est cuspidor, but it fell foul, the ashes
scattering over Sans lately secured
linoleum. Instantly there was appear
ance of settled disorder. Marshall
emptied his pockets of loose papers,
spreading them out on his fiat-top
desk.
"Sit down."
Rickard took the chair at the other
side of the desk.
Marshall rang a bell. Instantly the
shirt-sleeved clerk entered.
81 shall not see anyone" the chief
announced. 81 don't want to be inter-
rupted. Take these to Smythe."
His eyes followed the shutting of
the door. then turned square upon
Rickard. 81 need you. It's hi of
a mess ~
The engineer wanted to know what
kind of "mess" it was.
''That river. It's running away from
them. I'm going to send you down to
stop it."
1.-THE Colorado exclaimed Rickard
1t was no hose to be turned, simply
off from garden bed.
"Of course you've been following it.
It's one of the biggest things that:
happened in this part of the world
Too big for the men who have beer
trying to swing it. You've followed
it?"
/ 7af1
that report just now! "Tve not beer
there. But the engineering paper
used to get to me in Mexico. Pv'
read all the reports"
His superiors question was unchar
acteristically superfluous. Who ha,
not read with thrilled nerves of tha
wild river which men had been tryin
to put under work harness? Who
even among the stay-at-homes, had no
followed the newspaper stories of tn
failure to make a meek servant an
water carrier of the Colorado, tha
wild steed of mountain and desert
What engineer, no matter how remote
would not follow" that spectacula
struggle between men and Titans?
"Going to send me to Salton? h
inquired. The railroad had been keI
jumping to keep its feet dry. hi
job to be by that inland sea whic
last year had been desert!
mo. Brainerd is there. He ca
manage the tracks. 1 am going I
send you down to the break"
Richard did not answer. He fe
the questioning eyes of his chief.
The break-where those Hardin
were-how in thunder was he goin
o to get out Of that, and save his Skin
s Marshall liked his own way
8 "We1l consider it settled, then"
r "Who's in charge there?" Rfckar
d was only gaining time. He thougI
v he knew the name he would hea
/ Marshall's first word surprised him.
v mo one. Up to a few months as
q 1t was Hardin, Tom Hardin. He ws
d general manager of the company. E
ol was allowed to resign, to save h
l. face, as the Chinese say. I may te
ct you that it was a case of firing. He
le made terrible fluke down there"
ID Il KNOW" murmured Rickard.
- was growing more difficult, more di
ID tasteful. If Marshall wanted him
lie supplant Hardin! 1t had been incre
v ible, that mans folly! Reckless gal
le bling, nothing else. Make cut in Il
G. banks of a wild river, without pu
n ting in head gates to control it;
) child would guess better! 1t was
r. problem now, all right; the writer
ok the report he'd just read wasn't t
only one who was prophesying failul
IN Let the river cut back, and the &c
ne ernment works at Laguna would
es useless; pickle Hardin had made.
Still to gain time he suggested tn
p Marshall tell him the situation. 'I'
nd followed only the engineering side
IT. it. / don't know the relationship
he the two companies"
Sc where the railroad came in? T
ID, inside of that story? I'm responsil
he i guaranteed to Faraday the closi
fe of that break. There was a big d
VS. trlct to save, district that the ra
lu- road tapped-but I'll tell you IL
elk later" He was leisurely putting bl,
is perfectly formed rings into the c
an his eyes admiring them.
let Perhaps you've heard how Estra,
to the general, took party of men il
lid the desert to sell mine he own
Id After the deal was made he deciG
mp to let 1t slip. He'd found somethi
IDS bigger to do, more to his liking til
the sale of mine. Estrada was
lat big man, a great man. He had
Try idea Powell and others had, of tn
at ing the river, of saving the desert.
or, dreamed himself of doing it. If 81
81 ness hadn't come to him the Colorf
me would be meekly carrying water n
he, instead of flooding a country. r
lad Eduardo, the son, is not like him, q
IAN like his mother-you never know w
- they are dreaming about. Not at
in alike, my wife and Estrada's."