The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-02-21

acle. There was not u scar on the
powerful face.
"Estrada's business methods were
then not different from Sather's and
Hardin's" 1t was a deep. rich organ.
"Oh, you can't class Hardin with
Sather." protested Richards compan-
ion. "Sather used Hardin. Hardin's
honesty cannot be questioned. It's not
moneys he's after. His whole heart
is In this reclamation scheme"
"Hardin's a false ALARM" growled
the owner Of the massive head. "He
makes promises. He e keeps
them"
The older mans smile was tolerant.
Barton" he indicated. "is the presi-
dent Of the water companies. And II
you want to hear about a rogue and a
scoundrel ask the water companies
their. opinion Of Hardin"
"Well, what sort Of Z hole has he
got W int0?" demanded the other with
heat.
k10IOlu y III y AOlC uIAO6CAAs
mo one seems to remember that he
cruci6ed himself to save the valley.
I've . great respect for Thomas Har-
din"
"Yes1' returned Richard, whose nk-
Ing had been captured by the speaker.
The impression Of distinction sharp
ened. The stranger wore . laundered
pongee silk shirt. open at the neck but
restricted by 4 brown silk tie and it
was trinity belted. There were but
two neckties In the entire car, and
they occupied, Richard observed, the
same seat.
1.-The beginning Of the canal sys-
tenn"
Richard looked out upon q Nat. one
toned country. marked OF In rec.
rangles by plows and scrapers. Far
Their south these rectangleg were edged
by young willows. He fancied he
could zee, even ut that distance, the
CLEAN Of water.
It was the passing Of the desert. A
few miles back he had e the desert
In Its primitive nakedness, which not
even cactus relieved. He was passing
over the land which man and horses
were preparing for water. And he
could see the land where water was.
THAT was the way Riverside looked
when l flrst saw it," commented the
other man who wore . tie. "Come out
on the rear platform. We car see bet.
ter"
Richard followed to the back Of the
dust-swept, sitting car. The glare on
the platform was intense. He stood
watching the newly made checkerboard
Of 4 country slip past him. Receding
we're the two Inns Of cleaning steel
rails which connected and separated
him from the world outside. He was
going in" Not IN Mexico even had
he such q feeling Of ultimate remote
ness. The mountains. c0nverging per
spectively toward the throat Of the
valley. looked elusive and unreal IL
their gauxe drapcr3es Of rose and Vic
let. The tender horr of day was cloth
ing them with mystery. ~softening their
sharp outlines. They curtained the
world beyond. Richard felt the sus
pense Of the next act
It was . torpid imagination, hi
thought, which woul.i not quicken Over
this conquest Of ths desert. East OF
the tract men and teams we're prepar
ing the newly furrowed ground for the
seed. The curved land knives were
breaking up the rich mold into ridges
Of soft soil as uncoheAive and feathery
as p~ulverixed chocolate. It was the
dark color Of the chocolate Of com,
mcrce, this silt which had been pill
fered from the states through which
the vagrant river wandered. The smell
Of the upturned earth. sweetly damp
struck against his nostrils. Rickard
INDUCED q minute OF whimsical fancy
this was California territory ovel
which his train was passing. but the
soil. that dark earth these blades were
crumbling. was it not the tribute Of
other states, Of despoiItng Wyoming
Of ravishing Colorado and Arizona?
To the west new squares were being
leveled and outlined. Shrubby rec
tangles were being cleared II their ere
0sote bush and tough mesquite. Com
pared with other countries, the prepa
ration for planting was the simplest
Horses were dragging over the ground
q railroad rail bent into . v angle
which pulled the bushes ~ the roots
and dragged them out Of the way. Be
yond, farther west, could be seen thu
untouched desert. The surface fOI
many miles was cracked ~ watel
lined, broken and baked into irregular
sand cakes; the mark Of sand which
has been imprisoned b. water ant
branded By swift heat
Close b. men we're putt1ng II with
care the seed that was 20 quicken ID.
river silt. They we're passing . sQuars
where To green tips e ~ grail
were piercing ths ground. 1aOw the,
were abreast 81 = field q matured II
falfA over which the wind raced CRATE
fully. Desert and grain field; dealt
and lifel The panorama embraced th'
I whn1A rvrlA.