Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-04-18

prophecy. His gods had so spoken. !
Food for his stomach, liquor for his
stupefaction; the white mans money |
laid in a brown hand each Sunday |
morning was what the great gods fore
spoke. The completion of the work, |
the white mans victory, would be an
end of the fat time. Hasten? Why
should they, and shorten their day of
opportunity?
Between the two camps oscillated
COronel, silently squatting near the
whites, jabbering his primitive Es-
perantO to the tribes. His friendship
with the white chiefs, his age and nat
ural leadership gave him unique po
sition in both camps. Assiduously,
Rickard cultivated the old Indian who
crouched days through by the bank of
the river.
The engineers felt the whip of ex-
citement. Never man left the camp
in the morning who did not look to-
ward that span crawling across the
treacherous stream, measure that
widened bypass Would the gate
stand? The Hardin men halloed for
the gate, but looked each morning to
see if it were still there. The Reclama-
tiOn Service men and the engineers of
the railroad were openly skeptical;
Sisyphus Outdone at his own game!
Estrada and Rickard looked furtively
at the gate, with doubt at each other.
Hardin, himself, was repressed, an
eager live wire. His days he spent on
the river; his nights, long hours of
them, open-eyed, on his back, watching
the slow-wheeling, star-pricked dome
of desert sky. His was the suspense
of the man on trial; this was his
trial; Gerty, Richard, the valley, his
Judge and jury. The gate grew to be
symbol with him of restored honor,
an obsession of desire. 1t must be ali
right!
Richard was all over the place.
"Watching every piece of rock that's
dumped in the river" complained
Wooster. believe he marks them at
night %
They were preparing for the final
rush. In q week or two, the work
would be continuous, night shifts to
begin when the rock-pouring COM
menced. Large lamps were being sus-
pended across the channel, acetylene
whose candelpower was that of an arc
light. Soon there would be no night
at the break. When the time for the
quick coup would come, the dam must
be closed without break or slip. One
mat was down, dropped on the floor
that had already swallowed two such
gigantic mouthfuls.; covered with
rock; pinned down TO the slippery bot
tom with piles. Another mat was
ready to drop; rock was waiting to be
poured over it; the deepest place in
the channel was reduced from fifteen
to seven feet. Each day the overpour
anxiously measured, increased. A third
steam shovel had been added; the rail
road sent in several work trains fully
equipped for service; attracted by the
excitement, the hoboes were commenc
! ing to come in.
1t was battle of big numbers. 6
duel of great force where time was
the umpire. Any minute hot weather
might fall on those snowy peaks vi
yonder, and the released waters, rush
ing down, would tear out the defense:
as wave breaks over a childs for
, made of sand. This was q race, ant
all knew it. A regular train dispatch
system was in force that the inrushin:
. cars might drop their burden of rocl
: and gravel and be off after more. TIL,
Dragon was being fed rude meals, it
appetite whetted by the glut of pour
ing rock.
. Tod Marshall came down from Tue
: son in his car The coming of th,
q Palmyra and Claudia rippled the so
cial waters at the front for day
> ahead. Gerty Hardin, too proud f
tell her astonished family that sh
>. wanted to desert the mess tent, shool
herself from her injury, and "did up
q all her lingerie gowns. Mrs. Marshal
>, was not going to patronize her, evel
!. if her husband had snubbed Tom. !
!, was hot, ironing in her tent, the door
closed. Everything carried q stin
those indoor hours. She was aflam
n with hot vanity. Twice, she ha
4 openly encouraged Rickard; twice, h
had fouted her. That was his kind
= Men who prefer Mexicans-! Sh
o would never forgive him, neverl
b She followed devious channels to in
e volve Toms responsibility. There wa
e cabal against the wife of Hardin
IL Working like servant she called
/; necessity. Everything, every one pur