Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-04-09
CHAPTER XIV.
on the Levee.

On the Levee.
Hardin did not go home that night.
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 started the anxious ranchers at
sacking sand. Bodefeldt ran up to tell
him that there was a hill of filled
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 food had upheld Rick
ards wild guess, haloed his judgment.
1t was all a piece of his Internal luck.
Sickening, that's what it was His
orders scattered. He ran up and down
Che 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
shovels were tossing up earth before
anyone could tell where the danger
point would be. The waser was not
yet high enough TO determine the place
of battle. Sacked sand was being
brought over from Mexical. Fifty
pair of hands made short work of
Richards chill" Lanterns were flash
ing through the darkness like restless
firetlies. The wind and rushing water
deadened the sound of the voices. 1t
was a battle of giants against pyg-
mics. In the darkness, the giants
threatened to conquer.
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"
A turn in the gorge, a careless
dump pit hal pulled the river like a
mad horse back on it's launches. 1t
was kicking back
''They are short-handed up there.
They need help"
Dynamite" cried Silent and Har-
din antiphonally. They happened to
be standing near.
"We must have dynamite" bawled
Hardin. Are the wires down between
here and Brawley? We must get a
wire somehow to Los Angeles, to rush
1t down here this morning"
sits here. There is a carload on
the siding" yelled Silent.
Hardin did not need to ask by
whose orders it was there. An angry
scowl spoiled his face.
put some on the machine" He
was turning away.
Silent called after him. Did Mr..
Hardin think it was safe? There was
no road between the towns and Fas-
sett's. The night, the explosive-should
they not wait till morning2 The ques-
ton threw his late chief into a rage.
did 1 ask you to take it?' 1t was
the opening for his fury. safe! VIII
the towns be safe if the river cuts back
here? The channel has got to be
widened, and you talk of your own
precious skin! Wait till 1 ask you to
take it. Get out the machine. I'll take
1t to Fassett's myself"
Silent left the levee, smarting. He
backed the machine out of the shed
and sped through the darkness toward
Mexicali, where the car of explosives
was isolated.
Hardin, buttOned up to the ears, his
soft hat pulled tight over his forehead,
was waiting impatiently. Here was
something to be done; he coveted the
activity.
81 thought you were never coming"
he grumbled.
"Let me take itr' pleaded the en-
gineer.
Nonsense, there is no danger" Har-
din saw personal affection in the plea.
He put mis- hand affectionateIy on the
mans shoulde=.
"You go home and catch nap; this
is my job He was standing on the
step. Crank her"
7 There was nothing for Silent to do
but 10 get out. Hardin pointed the
long nose of the car into the darkness.
Slt. was off ike the greyhound she
missing a telegraph pole By