The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-14
The Ffuhtind Chance.
CHAPTER XI.

The Fighting Chance.
 sCasey's back, spyfngw announced Wooster at mess one evening, By that time the feeling against ''MarshalIs man" was actively hostile. There had been a smudge of slumbering fires be- fore Rickard had left the towns. Planned by much talk during his ab- sence, 1t had burst into active blaze. They were ready to show their resent ment against the man who had sup planted Hardin, their Napoleon, if 1t cost them their places. By this time the cause of the desert was as con- polling to these hardy soldiers as were the lily banners of France to the fol- lowers of the Little Corporal.
 Rickard was not expected. He had been gone less than week. The ef- feet of his return was that of a per son who returns suddenly into a room, hushlng an active babel of tongues He knew what he would find, ample reasons why! He was not given the satisfaction of locating any particular act of disobedience. The men pre- sented a blank wall of politeness, req sonable and intellectual. Silent ex- plained briefly that he had not been able to collect enough men. Most of the force was busy in the No, 6 dis trict, trying to push the shattered Wis taria through by a new route before that years crops were entirely ruined. A gang was at Grants Heading; the floor needed bracing. Another squad, Ir1sh's, was in the Volcano Lake re- zion, where they were excavating for the new headgate.
 "No hurry for that" Rickard was Had to pick flaw in such perfect pattern. You might have withdrawn those men and put them to work on the levee."
 T was given no authority to do that"
 The chief pretended to accept the reason; else 1t were a case of chang ing horses in midstream- What he had seen at the Heading, his peep at the exposed valley, his gleaning of the rivers history had convinced him that in haste and concentration lay the valleys only chance. He must re- fuse to see the insubordination of the engineers, the seasoned desert sol diers. He needed them, must viii their confidence if he could If not they must save the valley anyway The impertUrbable front of Silent, his bland, big stare, exasperated him easier to control the snapping terrier of Wooster. He had told Silent dis tinctly to gather his men and rush the levee. A good soldier had made bet ter guess than his, and had stopped the casual work at Black Butte, or had found Indiansl ThoughtfullJ Ricknrd followed that last suggestion across the ditch into Mexicali.
 He gathered all the recruits he needed that morning. The Indians lazy Cocopahs, creDt out of their hut to earn few of the silver dollars helt out to them by the new white boss A few Mexican laborers were bribet to toss up earth to the west of th' town. Estrada, at his request, put { squad of his road force at the service of the manager. He could not spar many men.
 The railroad had already started the line projected by Hardin to Mar shall the year before, a spur acros the desert, dipping into Mexico be tween the lean, restless sandhills from Calexico to Yuma The Mexican government had agreed to pay fiv thousand dollars mile were the roat completed at a certain period. EstradI was keping his men on the jump t fill the contract, to make his ratio1 pay the price. The completion of tn road meant help to the valley; sup plies, men, could be rushed through t the break.
 In spite of his haunting sense 0 ultimate failure the growing belief i the omnipotence of the Great YelloN Dragon as the Cocopahs visualiBed Ii Estrada's work was as intense Q though he were hastening a sure vic tory. The dauntIess spirit Of the eide Estrada pushed the track over the he sands where he must dance at time to keep his feet from burning. Man Of the rails they laid at night.
 "Rickard's gone hog-wild," Hardi told his family the next morning Building levee between the towns The mans off his head"
 "There isn't any dangerT'' Gerty anxiety made the deep blue eyes loo black.
 Innes looked up for Tor's answe His face was ugly with passion.
 'Dangeri It's bluff, a big sho of activity here because he's buff loed; he doesn't know how to tack the job out there"
 It had begun to look that way more than one. It was talked Ov' at CouIter's store; in the outer oftit of the D. R. company where the eng neers foFegatheFed; among the cha filters who idled in front of the De ert hotel. "The man does not knO how to tackle his job!'' A lsyee, al the gate held upl What protection
 the towns would be that toy levee
 the river should return on one of spectacular sprees2 A levee, and Il intake itself not guarded2 He VI whispered of as incompetent; one
 Marshalfs clerks. He was given
 short time to blow himself out.
 b0okman, a theorist,
 uko xuoil r,11t cortincJu fozu mil