Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-03-12

| tlere was a man IN ZacatecaS, named
Porter
Frank Porter?" s1eered Hardin.
'that-murderer?"
His brother" Richard answered
pleasantly. Jim furnishes the men
for the big mines in Sonora and Sina-
loa. He'll send us all the labor we
want, the best for our purpose. When
il gets red-hot. there's no one like n
peon or an Indian.
You'll be infringing on the lnterna-
tional contract law" suggested Mac
Lean.
mo. The camp is on the Mexican
side" laughed Casey. I'D thought of
that. Wen have them shipped to the
nearest Mexican point, and then
brought TO the border. Mr.. Estrada
will help us"
The meeting had already adjourned
They were standing around the flat
top desk. Estrada invited them all TO
lunch with him. in the car on the sid
ing. MacLean said that he had to get
back to Los Angeles. Mr.. Babcock
was going TO take him out To Grants
Heading in the machine. He had new
er been there. They had hreakfasted
late. He looked very much the colonel
to Richard. his full chest and stiff car
riage made more military by his trim
uniform of khaki-colored cloth.
May speak to you about your boy.
Mr.. MacLeanT"
Hardin caught slight that was not
intended. He pushed past the group
at the door without civillty or cere-
mony.
The steady grave eyes of the big
frame looked at Richard inquiringly.
'Ie wants TO stay out another year.
hope YOU will let him. It's not disin-
terested. | shall have to take a stenog-
rapher to the Heading this summer.
There is a girl here; couldn't take
her, and then. too. Tn old-fashloned; |
don't like women in offices. My posi-
ton promises to be peculiar Que. I'd
like to have your son TO rely on for
emergencies a stenographer could not
cover"
MacLean's grave features relaxed as
he looked down on the engineer, who
was no small man himself. and sug-
gested that his son was not very well
up in stenography.
That's the least Of It,"
II hope that he will make a good
stenOgrapher Good morning, gentle.
men,"
At table, neither Estrada nor his
guest uncovered their active thought
which revolved around Hardin and his
hurt. Instead, Richard had questions
to ask his host on river history. AS
they talked, II came 20 him that some
thing was amiss-Estrada was ac-
curate; he had all his facts Was it
enthusiasm, sympathy. he lacked? Pres
emily he challenged him with II.
Estradas eyes dreamed out OF the
window, followed the gorge of the New
river. as though out there. somewhere.
the answer lowered.
"Dv you mean, do you doubt it?" ex-
claimed Richard, watching the melan.
choly in the beautiful eyes.
! Estrada shook his head, but without
lecision. Nothing you'd not laugh at.
I can laugh at 1t myself. sometimes"
Richard waited. not sure that any.
Thing more was coming. The Mexi-
cans dark eyes were troubled; a puzzle
bf Ooded In them. ITS purely mega
tive sense that I've had, since l was a
child. Something falls between me
and plan. If said 1t was a veil II
would be-something His voice fell
TO n ghost of tunefuness. "And it's
nothing. A blank know then it's
not going to happen. 1t is terribly
final It's happened, often. Now.
wait for that-veil. When 1t falls,
know what II means"
"And you have had that-sense
about this river busIness2"
Estrada turned his penslve gaze on
the American. Eyes, often. | thought
after fathers death. that that was
what 1t meant. But II came again. II
kept coming. I had It while you were
all talking. just now. / don't speak OF
this. ii sounds chicken-hearted. And
I'm In this with all my sOul--my fa.
, ther-I couldn't do 1t any other way
but"
you think we are going to fail?"
81 cant see it finished" was Estra-
da's mournfuI answer. He turned
again to stare ont of the window.
who are the river men In the val
Iey" demanded the newcomer ~
want to meet them. to talk to them"
"Cor'nel, he's an Indian. He's worth
talking to. He knows it's history, its
legends. Perhaps some Of 1t is his
tory"
where's he TO be foundT
you'll run across hint Whenever
anything's up, he is on hand He senses
it, And then there's Matt Hamlin."
'I'll see him, of course. Has he
been up the river?"
mo, but I'll tell you twoswho have.
MaldonndO. a half-breed, who lives
some twenty miles down the river
from Hamlin's. He knows the ella as
though he were pure Indian. The
elias tricky! Maldonado's GRANDPA
Their was trapper, his great-grandfa-
Their, they say, priest. The women
were all Indian. He's smart. Smart
and bad"
Estrada's japanese servant came
back into the car to offer tea. freshly
iced.
That's what l want, smart river
men. not tea !" laughed Rickard. 81
want river history"
There's another man you ought 10