Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-04-03

whinnying Of frightened horses. EomO
one recalled the flashes Of light they,
had seen on leaving town. ''What
were those lights-sIgnals7"
"From the wnter-tower." MacLean's
voice split the wind. 1.-THE wires are
all down between the Crossing and the
towns. C0ronel was on the tower-he
got the signal from the Heading-hSs
been there each night for weekl"
This was a great night-for his chief,
Richard!
Gerty Hardin caught the thrill of
his hero-worship. How splendid. how
triumphant!
lines found herself In her brothers.
buggy. His horse, under the whip,
dashed forward. Suddenly he pulled
1t back on Its launches, narrowly
averting n jam. "Where's Mac
Learn
The boy rode back. .who's call
ing mel"
"Give me your horse" demanded
Hardin. "You take my, sister home"
Gerty Hnrdin's party was torn like
a bow Of useless finery. Fncing 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 tat reckless ex.
posed cut Of Hnriir''s; pinning their
hope to that ridiculed levee. The
horses broke into D reckless gallop,
the buggles lurching wildly rs 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 peOpled with
dark f0rmless shapes. The signals
Ind spread the alarm; the desert
world was flOckinR 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 Hnrdin ushcred
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" Gertys laugh
was hystericnl. eve can do no good
down there" She threw herself. con-
scious Of heroIneship. into the ordeal
OF her spoiIt entertainment.
1t was always IN incohercnt dream
to lnnes Hardin, that wild ride home
ward. the lurching scraping buggies,
the npprehensive silence. this budding
OF women like scared rabbits around u
table that had else been gay. The
women's teeth shivered over the ices.
Their faces looked ghnstly by the light
shed by Gerty's green shades. She
wished she were ut the levee. She
simply must go to the levee. I'm 20.
Ing to get wrap" she threw to Gerty
us she passed. II left 1t in the hail."
She stole through the deserted Of
flee, past the white and silver soda
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 view of the
shattered party.
1nnes made dive into the darkness.
There was dim outline of hastening
figures in front of her She could
hear some one breathing heavily by
her side. They kept npace. stumbling,
occasionally, the moving gloom betray.
ing their feet. A man came running
back toward the town. ITS cutting
back" He cried. Nothing but the
levcc will save the towns!"
The lcvee! ..
The harsh breathing followed her.
AS they passed the wretched hut OF u
Mexican gambler, suffering light
shone out. lines looked back. She
saw the wrinkled face of Coronel, who
had left his water tower. His black
coarse hair was streaming in the
wind. his mouth, njar. was express
sionless. though the fulfilment of the
Great Prophecy was at hand. Beneath
the cheek-splOtches Of green and red
paint rested curious dignity. The
Indian was to come again into his own.
What was his own. she questioned,
no ueF lcet stumbled over IOOSeQpu
boarding, ditch crossing she had not
seen. More corn, perhaps more fiery
stuff to wash down the corn! More
white mans money in the brown
mans pocket-that, his happiness.
Why should he not thank the gods?
His gods were speaking! For when
the waters Of the great river ran back
to the desert, the long ago outraged
gods were no longer angry. The towns
might so, but the great Indian gods
were showing their good will!
She Joined group at the levee,
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.
tiers was appalling. Strange loud
voices came through the din, of In.
dams. Mexicans; cultural sounds. Men
ran past her, carrying shovels, pulling
sacks Of sand; lanterns, blown dim.
flashed their pale hight on her cb,llod