The L'Anse sentinel., 1919-05-02


had seen on leaving town. "What
were those lights-signnls?"
"From the wGter-tower." MacLcans
voice split the wind. "Thc wires are
oil down between the Crossing and tho
towns. Coronel was on the tower-he
got the signal from the Heading--he's
been there each night for week"
This was great night-for his chief,
Riclxard 7. .tft-E 8"t
Gety Hardin caught the thrill OF
his hero-worship. How splendid. how
triumphant! sf
| lines found herself IN her brothers
buggy. His horse. under the whip,
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
IL back on it's launches, narrowly
averting jam. where's Mac
Learn
The boy rode back. "who's call.
ing me?"
"Give me your horse" demanded
Hardin. "You take my sister home"
Gerty Hardin's party was torn like
bow Of useless fnery. Facing the
wind now, no one could talk; no one
wanted to talk. Each was threshing
out his own thoughts; personal ruin
stared them in the face. Every man
was remembering that reckless ex.
posed cut of Hardin's; pinning their
hope to that ridiculed levee. Thu
horses broke into reckless gallop,
the, buggies lurchlng wildly as they
lodged one another. The axles
creakcd and strained. The wind tore
away the hats of the women. rent
their pretty chiffon wells.
The dusty road was peopled with
dark formless shapes. The signals
Mad spread the alarm; the desert
world was flocl;ing 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. ShlyerlDg, her pretty teeth
chattering, Gerty Hardin ushered
them into the deserted hall. The
Chinese cook snored away his vigil in
an armchair by the open fire. The
men had rushed away to the levee.
"Women must watt" Gerty's laugh
was hysterical. 1--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 lncoherent dream
to Innes Hardin. that wild ride home
ward, the lurching scraping buggies,
tho apprnb cjya SiJapoa tbfc hnddlipU
Of women like scared rabbits around
table that had else been gay. The
women's teeth shivered over the ices.
Their faces looked ghast'y by the light
shed by Gerty's green shades. Shc
wished she were at the levee. She
simply must go tc the lcvee. "I'm 60
ing to get wrap" she threw to Gerty
as she passed. Il left 1t in the hall"
She stole through the deserted Of
fee, past the white and silver soda
fountain, and out into the speeding
blur OF the night. ForInless shapes.
soft-footed, passed her. AS she sped
past the French windows of the din
Ing room she could get view of the
shattered party.
Innes made a dive into the darkness.
There was dim outline of Fastening
figures in front Of her. She could
hear some one breathing heavily by
her side. They kept apace, stumbling.
occasionally, the moving gloom betray-
Ing their feet. A man came running
back toward the town. "It's cutting
back" He cried. Nothing but the
levee will save the towns
The levee!
The harsh breathing followed her.
AS they passed the wretched hut of q
Mexican gambler. sputtering light
shone out. Inncs looked back. She
saw the wrlnkled face of Coronel. who
had left his water tower. His black
coarse hair was streaming in the
wind. his mouth. ajar. was express
sionless. though the fulfilment of the
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splotches of green and red
paint rested a curious dignity. The
Indian was to come again into his own.
What was his own, she questioned.
as her feet stumbled over loosened
boarding, ditch crossing she had not
seen. More corn, perhaps more fiery
stun to wash down the corn! More
white mans money In the brown
mans pocket-that, his happiness.
why should he not thank the gods1
His gods were speaking! For whe,
the waters Of the great river ran bacs
to the desert. the long ago outraged
gods were no longer angry. The towns
might go, but the great Indian gods
were showing their good will!
She Joined a group Mt the leyee.
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 wa
tcrs was appalling. Strange loud
voices came through the din, of In.
dians. Mexicans; cultural sounds. Men
ran past her, carrying shoveis, pulling
sacks Of sand; lanterns, blown dim
flashed their pale Hight on her chilled
cheeks.
Not even tho levee, she knew then.
would save the towns. This was the
end.
/