Gilpin observer., 1919-06-05
CHAPTER XII.
hardIn,s Luck.


Two days later there was a 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 1t. "Who could re-
member an earthquake in that desert7"
''The first shake"
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 1t 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
VAS badly hurt No one could confirm
che vumOr, but 1t grew with the day.
Rickard met ii at the office late in
the afternoon He went direct to the
telegraph operators desk.
Get Los Angeles, the o. p. Office.
And be 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 il was afire- San Jose
had confirmed it Oakland had report
ed the flames creeping up the resi-
deDce hills OF that gay Western city.
Cinders were already falling in the
uansbay town
Rickard dropped the receiver.
where's HardinY"
Tom Hardin emerged from a knot
of men who were talking in a corner
by the door.
-Where's that machineyT
"What n>achineryT
Rickard saw the answer to his ques-
ltion in the others face.
'The dredge machinery. Did you
attend to that7 Did you send for It r.
"Oh. yes, that's all right. It's all
right"
rs it here?'
Hardin attempted jocularity. u
didn't know as you wanted 1t here.
ordered 1t sent to Yuma"
"Is 1t at Yuma"
Hardin admitted that 1t was not yet
ut Yuma; II would be there soon; he
uuu WIitteh, oh, IL was uil right.
when did you writer"
Hardin reddened under the cate
chism 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 al
each other like belligerents.
81 asked when did you writer
yesterday"
Yesterday" Rickard ripped ou
an oath. yesterday. Why at all, Ii
like TO know? Did you understand
that you were ordered to get tha
heref Now. it's gone"
"Gone?" The others crowded up.
"San Francsico's burning" H,
walked into his inner Office mad cleal
through. He was not thinking of tn,
ruin Of the gay young city; not ,
thought yet did he have Of the human
tragedies enacting there; of homes
lives. fortunes swept into that hug,
bonfire. As it affected the work at tn
river, the first block to his campaign
the catastrophe came home to him. ii
had n picture of tortured, twiste,
iron. OF ruined machinery, the ma
chinery for his dredge. He saw It lyin
like spent LAGOON, wrlthing in It
last struggle. He blamed himself 70
leaving even such n small detail as tn
hastening OF the parts to Hardin
care, for Hardin wasn't fit to be trus,
ed for anything. No one could tel
him now the man was unlucky; h
was fool. A month wasted, an
days were precious. A month? Month.
Hardin's luck. Oh, hell!
Then he began TO speculate as h
cooled over the trouble up yonder.
whole city burning? They would sur,
ly get It under control. He began I
think Of the isolation; the telegrap
wires all down. That might happe
anywhere! He walked to the doc
ana looked thoughtfully at the "or
pany's big water tower. That WASH
such bad idea! He picked up h
hat. and went out