Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-04-10
CHAPTER XIV.
On the Lexee.

On the Levee.
Hardin did not 60 home that night,
He was feeltag to the quick the irony
OF his position; his duty now to pro-
tect the levee he'd ridiculed; now the
only hope Of the towns! The integrity
of the man never faltered, though his
thoughts ran wild. Like the relentless
hounds of Actaeon. they pursued him,
barking at his vanity.
He started the anxious ranchers at
sacking sand. Bodefeldt ran up to tell
him thl.t there, was a hill Of filled
sacks over In Mexicali. "Rickard had
u bunch of Indians working for a
week"
The confusion Of the shy. fellow did
not escape Hardin. Oh, he knew what
Bodefeldt was thinking. what every
one was saying! They were all laugh
ing at him. The coincidence of this
extraordinary flood had upheld Rick.
ards wild guess. haloed his judgment.
1t was all piece of his internal luck.
Sfckening, that's what 1t was! His
orders scattered. He ran up and down
the levee, giving orders; recalling
them when he found he was repeating
Richards.
This new humiliation, coming on the
heels OF the dredge fiasco. put him in
execrable temper. He shouted his or
ders over the noises of the night. He
rated the men, bullIed them. No one
did anything right! Lord, what he
had to put up with! The other men,
the ranchers and engineers, saw in
his excitement certainty Of the valleys
doom.
The wind and the darkness con-
tributed to the confusion. Eager
shoven were tossing up earth before
anyone could tell where the danger
point would be. The water was not
yet high enough to determine the place
OF battle. Sacked sand was being
brought over from Mexicall. Fifty
pair Of hands made short work of
Richards "hill." Lanterns were fash
ing through the darkness like restless
firefiies. The wind and rushing water
deadened the sound of the voices. 1t
was a battle of giants against pyg-
mics. In the darGeess, the giants
threatened to conques. =
At three In the mksalng. a horseman
cde In from Fassett's. c2e OF the big
ranches to the north, c,,t by the New
liver. ~
The river is cutting back" he
called through the din. cutting back
toward the towns"
"A tuSn In the gorge, careless
1nmp-pit had pulled the river like q
1had horse back on its launches. II
was kicking back.
Chey are short-handed up there
They need help"
Dynamite" cried Silent and Har.
din antiphonally., They happened ia
be standing near.
We must have dynamite" bawled
Hardin. "Are the wires down between
here and Brawley? We must get q
wire somehow to Los Angeles, to rush
It down here this morning"
It's here. There is carload on
the siding" yelled Silent.
Hardin did not need to ask by
whose orders 1t was there. An angry
scowl spoiled his face.
Put some on the machine" &c
vas turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr.
Hardin think 1t was safe? There was
no road between the towns and Fas.
setts6 The night, the explosive should
Z theysnot walt till morning7 The ques.
tions threw his late chief into . rage.
-Did ask ycG to take .itr Il was
The opening for his, fury. "Safe! Will
the towns be safe II the river cuts back
hexa9 The channel has got to be
widsnsd. and you talk Of your own
pfecious skin! Wait TIL ask you to
take,it. Get out the machine. I'll take
q - Taasett's myself
0llent left the lesee. smarting. BE
tackled the machine out Of the shed
ana sped through the darkness toward
1fax1cali, where the car OfaexplOstves
pnS1solatR0.
Hardin. buttoned mp to the ears. bid
aDft hi pulled Digit over hiA forehead
ssas waiting impatientiy. Here was
s,nslking 70 y doos; y csvstsd ths
setiyity.