The Arvada enterprise., 1919-07-10
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0OOOOUUU0UUUDDU
towns and the Crossing; q 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. Rickard
found him full Of meat, and heard. for
the drst time consecutively. the story
Of the fakish river. Particularly In
Hardin to the company.
"He has the bad luck, that man !"
exclaimed Estrada's soft. musical
voice. Everything IL in his hands,
capital II 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 mullsh; ;
Sather, mulish and not honest-oh.
there's a string OF them. Once he
went to Hermosillo 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 Ais maps and papers. He owned
all the data then. He'd made the sur
vey."
Estrada repeated the story Brandon
and Marshall had told, with little dis
crepancy. A friendly refrain followed
the narrative. He has the bad luck.
that man~
"And the scotched optioor remind
ed Rickard. smiling at his own poor
Joke.
TT was Just that. A case Of Hardin
luck again. He stopped Oh In London
to interest some capital there; follow
ing up lead developed On the steam
er. He was never . man to neglect .
chance. Nothing came Of It, 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. It
isn't lasiness. 10 his trouble. It's Just
internal luck"
'Of over.astuteness, or psocfastina-
tion," criticized his listener 10 himself.
He knew now what It was that had
% changed Hardin. A nan cannot
travel, even though he b. hounding
down q quick scent. without meeting
strong influences. He had been thrown
with hard men. strong men. Il was
an Inevitable chiseling. not q miracle.
II want to hear more Of this some
day. But this map. I don't snder.
stand what you told me Of this BY.
pass, NJ. Estrada.
Their heads were still beading over
Estrada's rough work bench when the
japanese cook announced that dinner
was waiting In the adjoining car.
AacLean and BOdefeldt and several
young engineers Joined them.
II had been outwartily q wasted day.
Rickard had lounged. socially and
physically. But before he turned In
that night he had learned the names
and dispositions Of his force. and
come Of their prejudices. Nothing. he
summed up. could be guessed from the
Eentleness Of the Aexican's manner
WoOsters antagonisn was open and
snapplsh. Silent was to b watched
and Hardin had already shown bis
hand.
The river. a. he thought Of II. ap
peared the least formidable Of his op-
ponents He was imaging II a. high.
spirited horse. mnddened by the fun.
bling Of itx woult-be cnptors. His tast
1t was to lssso the proud stallion. lead
II In bridied to the sterile land. No
wonder Hardin was sore; his noose
had slipped on one time too many
Hardin's luck!