Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-04-04


towns and the Crossing; director Of
the Desert Reclamation company. and
the head Of small subsidiary com.
pany which had been created to pro
tect rights and keep harmonious rela-
ton with the sister country. Richard
found him full of meat, and heard, for
the first time consecutively, the story
Of the yalSlsh river. Particularly in
teresting TO him was the relation of
Hardin to the company.
"IIe has the bad luck, that man !"
exclaimed Estrada's soft, musical
voice. Everything Is in his hands,
capital is promised, and he goes to
New York to have the papers drawn
up. The day he gets there the Maine
is destroyed. OF course capital is shy.
He's had the DEVILS own luck with
men: Clifford. honest but mulish !;
Sather. mulish and not honest-oh,
there's string of them. Once he
went to Hermosllo to get an option on
my fathers lands. They were already
covered by an option held by some
men In Scotland. Another man would
have waited for the three months to
pass. Not Hardin. He went to Scot
land. thought he'd interest those men
with his maps and papers. He owned
all the data then. He'd made the sur
yey."
Estrada repeated the story Brandon
and Marshall had told, with little dis
crepancy A friendly refrain followed
the narrative. Gle has the bad luck,
that manp
"And the Scdtched option?" remind
ed Richard. smiling at his own poor
joke.
ut was Just that. A case of Hardin
luck again. He stopped off In London
to interest some capital there; follow
ing up lead developed on the steam
er. He was never q man to neglect a.
chance. Nothing came of 1t, though,
and when he reached Glasgow he
found his man had died two days be-
fore--or been killed, I've forgotten
which. Three times Hardin's crossed
the ocean trying to corner the oppor-
tunity he thought he had found. 1t
isn't laziness.. is his trouble. It's Just
Internal luck"
"Or over-astuteness, or procrastina-
tlon," criticized his listener to himself. |
He knew now what 1t was that had
so changed Hardin. A man cannot
travel, even though he be bounding
down a quick scent, without meeting |
strong influences. He had been thrown |
with hard men. strong men. 1t was |
an inevitable chlseling, not miracle. |
81 want to hear more of this some |
day. But this map. 1 don't under
stand what you told me of this by
pass. Mr.. Estrada.
Their heads were still bending over
Estrada's rough work bench when the
Japanese cook announced that dinner
vas waiting In the adjoining car.
MacLean and Bodefeldt and several
7oung engineers Joined them.
1t had been outwardly wasted day.
Richard had lounged. socially and
But before he turned in
hat night he had learned the names
and dispositions OF his force. and
some of their prejudlces. Nothing, he
up, could be guessed from the
sentleness of the Mexican's manner;
Nooster's antagonism was open and
'nappish. Silent was to be watched,
md Hardin had already shown his
iand.
The river as he thought of 1t, up
reared the least formidable of his op-
,onents. He was imaging it as high
pirlted horse. maddened by the fun
ling of Its would-be captors. His task
{ was to lasso the proud stallion, lead
{ In brldled to the sterile land. No
Wonder Hardin was sore; his moose
lad slipped on one time too many !
Iardin's luckl