Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-03-08

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backed the machine out of the shed
and sped through the darkness toward
Mexican, where the car of explosives
was isolated.
Hardin, buttoned up to the ears, MS
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead,
was waiting impatlently. Here was
something to be done; he coveted the
activity.
Il thought you were never coming,
he grumbled.
Let me take It'll" pleaded the en-
gineer.
| Nonsense, there Is no danger" Har-
din saw personal affection in the plea.
He put his hand affectionately on the
mans shoulder.
you go home and catch nap; this
is my job" He was standing on the
step. Crank her."
There was nothing for Silent to do
but to get out. Hardin pointed the
long nose of the car into the darkness.
She was of like the greyhound she
suggested, missing telegraph pole by
half an inch.
"Who Is in charge here7" a woman's
voice was piercing the racket of wind
and wave.
The dawn was breaking. Down the
New river he could see the wind whip
ping the water into whitecapped fury.
"Vicious," he muttered. 'sThose heavy
waves play the Old Harry with the
| levee."
''Where Is my brother"
"Mlss Hardin I" cried Silent.
"Where is he?" demanded Innes.
Her hair streamed away from her face.
Her cheeks were blanched. Her yellow
eyes, peering into the dusk, looked
owlish. Her wind-spanked skirts clung
to her limbs. To Silent she looked
boyish, as though clipped and trou-
sered. "Where is my brother?" she re-
peated.
Silent told her without reservations
where he had gone and why. There
was no feminine foolishness about
that sister of Hardin's. A chip Of the
old block. Funny, the men all thought
of her as Hardin's daughter ON ac-
count of the difference of age. As to
comrade, proudly, he Dragged of the
taking of the dynamite over that road
less waste.
"Whom did he leave in his placer"
Silent knew, only, that he himself
was not in charge! Hardin had or
dered him to bed.
"Maybe Mr.. Estrada?" she haz-
arded.
"He is not here, he went down the
road to look after the track. Hardin
went off in such a hurry, I guess he
told nobody" chuckled the engineer,
still glowing.
"Then I'm it" cried Innes Hardin.
"will you take my orders, Silent%
"Sure," he chuekled again.
Through the rush of the wind and
water came the whistle of lscomo-
tive.
"a specialw cried Silent. Hardin's
sister and his friend looked at each
)ther the same thought in mind:
Rickard, in from the Heading!
On her face Silent saw the same
spectacular impulse which had flashed
over Hardin's features q short time
before.
She put her hand on his arm. ISL
lent, you're his friend. Straighten this
out. We can't have him come back
Ispying-and find this" She waved her
hand toward the disorganized groups.
I'D take more orders" suggested
the engineer.
"Then send q third of them home,
tell them to come back tonight at six.
Send away the other third, tell them
to come back at noon. Keep the other
shift. Say you'll have coffee sent
from the hotel, tell them Hardin says
to stop wasting stuff. Tell them, oh,
tell them anything you can think of,
Silent, before he comes" Her break
down was girlish.
She could hear the signal of the To-
comotlve; coming closer. Then she
could hear the pant of the engine as
it worked up the grade. 1t was
steady gentle climb all the way from
the junction, two hundred feet below
sealevel, to the towns resting at the
level of the sea. 1t quickened her
thought of the power of the river.
Nothing between it and the tracks at
Salton. Nothing to stop its flow into
that spectacular new sea whose basin
did not need drop of the precious
misguided flow. She could hear the
bells; now the train was coming into
the station; she would not wait for
Silent. She did not want to meet
Rickard.
No one saw her as she left the levee.
She passed Silent, who was issuing or
ders. She heard him say, 'The boss
says so."
She took the road by the railroad
sheds, to avoid the dismissed shifts.
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