The Raymer enterprise., 1919-07-31
CHAPTER XII.
Hardin's Luck.

Two days later there was q shock OF
earthquake. so slight that the tapping
OF the water In Richards bath was his
intimation of the earth's uneasiness.
In the dining room later he found ev-
eryone discussing II. "Who could re-
member an earthquake In that desertT'
"The first shaker
During the morning. unfathered, as
rumors are born. the whisper Of dis
sster somewhere spread. Their own
slight shock was the edge of the con-
vulsion which had been serious else
where. no one knew quite where, or
why they knew II at all The men
who were shoveling earth on the levee
began TO talk OF San Francisco. Some
one said that morning that the city
sas badly hurt No one could confirm
lhe rumor. but It grew with the day.
Richard met II ut the Office late In
the afternoon He went direct to the
telegraph operator's desk
Get Los Angeles, the o. p. Office.
And he quick about It."
In ten minutes he was talking to
Babcock. Babcock said that the dam
age by the earthquake to that city was
not known, but II was aiire- San Jose
had confirmed II. Oakland had report.
ed the flames creeping up the resi-
deDce hills Of that gay Western city.
Cinders were already falling In the
transbay town.
Richard dropped the receiver.
-Where's Hardlny'
Tom Hardin emerged from a knot
Of men whc were talking In d corner
BY the door.
where's that machinery
what machinery
gickard saw the answer to his ques-
tion In the others face.
''rhe dredge machinery. Did you
attend to thatl Did you send for It y
"oh, yes, that's all right It's all
right"
rs II heref'
Hardin attempted POPULARITY. ~
didn't know as you wanted 1t here. l
ordered II sent TO Yuma"
as II at Yuma"
Hardin admitted that II was not yet
at Yuma; II would be there soon; he
had written; OH 1t was all right.
"When did you writer"
Hardin redeemed under the cate
chlsm Of questions. He resented be-
ing held up before his men The 9th
ers felt the electricity In the air. Har-
din and his successor were glaring at
each other like belIigerents.
II asked when did you writer
Yesterday"
yesterday" Richard ripped out
an oath. Yesterday. Why at all. I'd
like to know? Did you understand
that you were ordered to get that
here? Now. It's gone"
"Gone?" The others crowded up.
'San Francsico's burning" He
walked into his inner Office, mad clear
through. He was not thinking OF the
ruin of the gay young city; not a
thought yet did he have Of the human
tragedies ennctlng there; of homes,
lives, fortunes swept into that huge
bonfire. As II affected the work at the
river, the first block to his campaign.
the catastrophe came home to him. He
had picture Of tortured, twisted
Iron, OF ruined machinery. the ma
chinery for his dredse. He saw 1t lying
like a spent LAGOON, writing In Its
last struggle. He blamed himself for
leaving even such small detail as the
fastening Of the parts to Hardin
care. for Hardin wasn't fit to be trust.
ed for anything. No one could tell
him now the man was unlucky; he
was fool. A month wasted. and
days we're precious. A month"; Months.
Hardin's luck. Oh, hell
Then he began to speculate as he
cooled over the trouble up yonder. A
whole city burnlngf They would sure
~ get II under control. He began to
think Of the isolation; the telegraph
wires all down. That might happen
anywhere! He walked to the door
AMI looked thoughtfully Mt the com
rany's big water tower. That wasn't
such a bad idea He picked up his
hat, and went out.
eAApTEH Y111