The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-04-17
CHAPTER XVI.
Time the Umpire.


The river was low; its yellow wa
ters bore the look Of oriental duplicity.
Each day was now showing its prog
ress. The two ends of the trestle were
creeping across the stream from their
brush aprons. A few weeks of work,
at the present rate, and the gap would
be closed, Hardin's big gate in it; the
bypass ready; the trap set for the
Colorado. The tensity Of q last squirt
was in the air.
1t was inspiring activity, this pitting
Of mans cumulative skill against an
elemental force. No Caucasian mind
which did not tingle, feel the privi-
legged thrill of it. To the stolid native
this day Of well-paid toll was his mil
lennium, the fulfillment of the
prophecy. His gods had so spoken.
Food for his stomach, liquor for his
stupefaetion; 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. Hastenf Why
should they, and shorten their day OF
opportunityr .5g Z; a.
( Between the two camps oscillated
Coronel, silently squatting near the
whites, jabbering his primitive Es-
peranto to the tribesr His friendship
with the white chiefs, his age and nat
ural leadership gave him unique po-
sitiop In both camps. Assiduously,
Rickard cultivated, the old Indian who
crouched days through by the bank OF
the river. 900 n,.i "F .EE.
The engineers felt the whip Of ex-
citement. Never a man left the camp
in the morning who did not look to-
ward that span crawling across the
treacherous stream. measure that
widenedl bypass. Would the, gate
stand2 The Hardin men halloed for
the gate, but looked each morning to
see IL 1t 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 furtiyely
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, Rickard, the valley, his
Judge and jury. The gate grew to be
q symbol with him of restored honor,
an obsesslon Of desire. 1t must be all
rightl
Rickard 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 a 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. q
duel Of great force where time was
the umpire. Any minute hot weather
might fall son those snowy peaks up
yonder, and the released waters, rush
ing down, would tear out the defenses
rs a wave breaks over a child's fort
made Of sand. This was race. and
all knew it. A regular train dispatch
system was in force that the inrushing
cars might drop their burden of rock
and gravel and be off after more. The
Dragon was being fed rude meals, its
appetite whetted by the giut Of pour
ing rock.
Tod Marshall came down from Tue.
son n Els car. The coming Of the
Palmyra and Claudia rippled the So
aaI' waters at the front for day