Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-03-28
CHAPTER XIV.
On the Ievee.I ]

Llululll AlOl ~ lAAttl hAShl=
He was feeling 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 stQrted the anxious ranchers at
sacking sand. Bodefeldt ran up to tell
him that there was a hill of filed
sacks over in Mexicali. "Rickard had
a bunch of Indians working for q
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.
Sickening, that's what it 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, bulIied them. No one
did anything right Lord, what he
had to put up withl 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
shovels 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 MexicaH. Fifty
pair of hands made short work of
Richards "hill." Lanterns were flash
Ing through the darkness like restless
frefiies. The wind and rushing water
deadened the sound of the voices. 1t
was, battle of giants against pyg-
mics. In the darkness, the giants
iii CdtCuCu "
At three in the morning, a horseman
rode in from Fassett's, one of the big
ranches to the north, cut by the New
river.
"The river is cutting back" he
called through the din, "cutting back
toward the towns
turn In the gorge. a careless
dump-pit had pulled the river like a
mad horse back on its launches. 1t
was kicking back.
"They are short-handed I'D there.
They need help"
Dynamite" cried Silent and Har.
din antiphonally. They happened to
be standing near.
I'VE must have dynamite" bawled
Hardin. "Are the wires down between
here and Brawley? We must get a
wire somehow to Los Angeles, to rush
Il down here this morning."
tits here. There is a carload on
he siding" yelled Silent.
Lardin did not need to ask by
whose orders q was there. An angry
scawl spoiled his face.
Put some on the machine" He
vas turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr.
Hardin think it was safe? There was
no road between the towns and Fas
setts. The night, the explosive-shoulC
they not wait till morning? The cues
tnn threw his late chief into a rage.
"pid l ask you to take it?" 1t was
the opening for his fury. "Safe! VII
the towns be safe if the river cuts baci
here? The channel has got to bt
wideneu, and you talk of your owl
precisns skinl Wait till ask you tC
t0ks 1t. Get out the machine. I'll take
ie to Fassett's myself"
Silent left the levee, smarting. HI
backed the machine out of the she(
and sped through the darkness toward
Mexicali, where the car of explosive.
was isolated.
Hardin, buttoned up to the ears, hi
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead
whs waiting impatiently. Here wa
something to be done; he coveted tn,
activity.
Il thought you were never coming,
he grumbled.
Let me take It'll" pleaded the en-
hneer.
Nonsense, there is no danger" Har
din saw personal affection in the plea
He put his hand affectionately on tn
man's shoulder.
you go home and catch nap; thi
il my job He was standing ON tn
STEP. Crank her."
There was nothing for Silent to d.
but to get out. Hardin pointed tn
long nose of the car into the darkness
She was off like she greyhound sh
suggested. missing telegraph pole b.
half an inch.
who is in charge here?" a woman
voice was piercing the racket of win
and wave.
The dawn was breaking. Down tn
New river he could see the wind whiI
piEg the water into whitecapped fury
Vicious he muttered. Those heav
waves play the Old Harry with tn
levee."
where is my brotherW
Miss Hardin I" cried Silent.
"Whcre Is he? demanded lime:
Her hair streamed away from her face
uer checks were blanched. Her yellu,
eyes, reering into the dusk, locke
'w';sh. Her wind-spanked skirts clun
" hcr limbs. TO Silent she lookc