The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-05-29
CHAPTER XIV.
On the levee.

On the levee.
Hardin did not 60 home that night.
6e was feeling to 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
u the man never faltered, though his
thoughts ran wild. Like the relentless
bounds Of Actaeon. they pursued him,
barking ut his vanity.
He started the anxious rnnchers at
Acking sand. Bodefeldt ran up to tell
him that there was a hill Of filed
Backs over In Mexicali. "Rickard had
bunch Of Indians working for o
week."
The confusion Of the shy fellow did
not escape Hardin. Oh. he knew what
Bodefeldt was thinking. what every
bne was sayingi They were all laugh
Ing ut him. The coincidence of thls
extraordinary food had upheld Rick.
ards wild guess. haloed his Judgment.
e was all q piece of his Internal luck.
Sickening. that's what Il vast His
orders scattered. he ran up and down
TIM levee. giving orders; recalling
them when he found he was repeating
Richards.
This new humiliation. coming on the
heels Of the dredge finsco, put him in
execrable temper. He shouted his or
ders over the noises Of the night. He
rated the men. bullled them. No one
did anything right Lord. what he
had to put up With The other men,
tho ,ranchers and engineers. saw In
ais excitement certainty Of the valleys
loom.
The wind and the darkness con.
tribpted to the confusion. Eager
shovels 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
Of battle. Sacked sand was being
brought over from Mexicali. Fifty
pair Of hands made short work Of
Richards "hill." Lanterns were flash.
Ing through the darkness like restless
nre6les. The wind and rushing water
deadened the sound of the voices. l,
was Q battle of giants against pyg'
mics. In the darkness, the giants
threatened to conquer.
At three In the morning. horsemar
rode In from Fassett's. one Of the bie
ranches to the north. cnt by the New
river.
'~The river Is cutting back" he
celled through the din. "cutting back
toward the towns"
A turn In the gorge, a careless
dump.pit had pulled the river like q
mad horse back on Its launches. II
was kicking back.
"They are short-handed up there
They need help"
Dynamite" cried Silent and Har
din antIph0nally. They happened tt
be standing near.
1--WE must have dynamite" bawlet
Hardin. "Are the wires down between
here and B,awley? We must get {
wire somehow to Los Angeles. to rusl
It down here this morning"
TITS here. There is a carload OF
the siding" yelled Silent.
Hardin did not need to ask by
whose orders II was there. An angr!
scowl spoiled his face.
"Put some on the machine" III
was turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr.
Hardin think It was safe? There wa
no road between the towns and Fas
sett's. The night, the explosive-shoult
they not wait till morning? The ques
ton threw his late chief into rage.
ibid ask you to take III" It wa
the opening for his fnry. "Safe! VIII
thn towns be safe II the river cuts bacl
here? The channel has got TO b.
widcned. and you talk of your owl
precious skin! Walt till ask you /,
take II. Get out the machine. I'll TAX
1t to Fassett's myself"
Silent left the levee, smarting. III
backed the machine out Of the she,
and sped through the darkness towar,
Aexicali. where the car of explosive
was isolated.
Hardin. buttoned up to the ears, hi
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead
was waitin2 impatiently. Here wa
.sonefhiRg n he. done; b cQysfe4 th