The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-05-15

O4t
had seen on leaving town. "Wnas
were those lights-signals?"
.From the water-tower." MacLean's
voice split the wind. 1.-The wires ars
nil down between the Crossing and the
owns. Coronel was on h tower-hs
got the signal from the Heading-beS
been there each night for q week.
This was q great night-for bis chief.
Rlckardl
Gerty Hardin caught the thrill q
his hero-worship. How splendid, how
triumphant
Innes found herself In her brothers
buggy. His horse, under the whip
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulieS
IL back on its launches, narrowly
averting a jam. -Where's Mae
Learn
The boy rode back. "Who's cali
ing me?"
"Give me your horse" demanded
Hardin. "You take my sister home"
2 Gerry Hardin's party was o K
n bow of useless finery. Facing the
wind now, no one could talk; no %
wanted to talk. Each was threshina
out his own thoughts; personal ruin
stared them In the face. Every man
was remembering that reckless ex
posed cut of Hardin's; pinning theii
hope to that ridiculed levee. The
horses broke into a reckless galiop.
the buggies lurching wildly as they
lodged one another. The axles
creaked and strained. The wind tore
away the hats of the women, rent
their pretty chiffon wells.
The dusty road was peopied witt
dark formless shapes. The signals
had spread the alarm; the desert
world was fiocking to the gorge of the
New river, to the levee.
The women were dumped without
ceremony on the sidewalk, under the
screened bird cage of the Desert
hotel. Shivering, her pretty teeth
chattering. Gerty Hardin ushered
them into the deserted hall. Tht
Chinese cook snored away his vigil in
an armchair by the open fire. The
men had rushed away to the levee.
women must wait" Gerty's laugh
was hysterical. "We can do no good
down there" She threw herself, con,
scious of heroineship. into the ordeal
Of her spoilt entertainment.
1t was always an incoherent dream
to Innes Hardin, that wild ride home
ward, the lurching scraping buggies
tie ~apprehensive silence, this budding
of women like scared rabbits around q
table that had else been gay. The
women's teeth shivered over the ices
Their faces looked CHASTITY by the light
shed by Gerty's green shades. She
wished she were at the levee. Sh.
simply must go to the levee. I'm go
ing to get a wrap" she threw to Gert9
as she passed. 81 left 1t in the hail."
She stole through the deserted OF
fee, past the white and silver sods
fountain, and out into the speeding
blur of the night. Formless shapes
soft-foOted. passed her. AS she sped
past the French windows of the din
Ing room she could get a view Of tia
shattered party.
Innes made a dive into the darkness
There was a dim outline of hastenins
figures In front of her. She couit
hear some one breathing heavily b,
her side. They kept apace, stumbling
occasionally, the moving gloom betray
ing their feet. A man came runnins
back toward the town. ITS cuttins
back" He cried. Nothing but shs
levee will save the townsl I"
The levee!
AS they passed the wretched hut Of Z
Mexican gambler, a suffering igh
shone cut.N Innes looked back. Shs
saw the wrinkled face of Coronel. VIII,
had left his water tower. His blacs
coarse hair was streaming In the
wind. his mouth. ajar. was express
~sionless, though the fulflment Of tn.
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splotches of green and rec
paint rested a curious dignity. Ths
Indian was to come again into his own
What was his own, she questioned
as her feet stumbled over l~oosene<
boarding, a ditch crossing she had no
seen More corn. perhaps more nesp
stuff to wash down the cornl More
white mans money in the brown
mans pocket-that, his happiness
Why should he not thank the gods
His gods were speakingi For whes
the waters Of the great river ran baSA
to the desert the long ago outraee<
gods were no longer angry. The town
might go. but the great Indian god
were showing their good Wilt
She Joined q group ut the levea
winding her veil over mouth and fore
head. DARK shapes swayed near her
The wind was making havoc OF The
mad waters rushing down from the
channel The noise Of wind and va
tiers was appalling. Strange lour
voices cane through the din. Of In
dams. Mexicans; cultural sounds. Me-
ran past her, carrying shovels, pullin.
sacks of sand; lanterns, blown dim
flashed their pale hight on her chiusA
cheeks.
Not even the levee, she knew thsn
would save the towns. This Wa n.