The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-04-23

unison.
 "Im going up on the rock and I'm going to think" said Judith de- cisively. "If my eyes tell me true, Scoggins is coming up the hill. Keep him entertained, don't give him your report, MT. Kane, and I'll be back soon"
 She slipped out of the rear door and in the gathering shadows Of twi- light raced up to the rock. Delphy had asked if this was where she communed with Pig Tom. Perhaps it was, perhaps, however thnt great basin of shadows and the cupped bowl of the sky impressed her with the yastnese of the world and kept petty problems from intruding into her analysis of the impol tant ones.
 What would another man, an en- gineer. do under such circumstances? Which was the more important, oil, or growth? But that wasn't ID to her. She had sworn Q carry cl as Big Tor. had wanted without thought of self.
 Eyes on the glimmer of the eve ming star, silver against the apricot afterglow, she thought. What would he do? Suddenly she knew but without money how could it be done? Big Tom would find 6 way and so would she.
 Judith turned and walked back down the hill ready to face Scoggins. THERE was something martial in Il the step of Judith Dale as she strode down the hill to her house where Scoggins, Kane and her two faithful friends awaited her.
 Hello, MT. Scoggins," her greet ing was friendly. "I was going to call you up to hear MT. Kane's report. You've met him of course, the boys would see to that MT. Kane, you know, is Jackson B. Kane, the geolo- gist who free lances among the big oil companies of the south |. you've heard of him I know"
 Well well yes," admitted Scoggins reluctantly. Judith knew that he had because she had taken pains to see that an oil weekly, printed in Houston and carrying a picture and story about MT. Kane, fell into Scoggins' hands before the two met.
 I'm going to let MT. Kane give you his report in detail. Suppose we go into the house where there Is light and he will show you some maps he has made"
 For the ensuing hour they sat about the table, listening to Kanes slow voice speaking in it's assured tenes. He used words layman might understand, and Scosgins nodded from time to time as if he were be- ing convinced against his will. When the geologi,t had concluded the farmer leaned back agaiost h,s chair, a. queer, Le lied look on his face.
 But you won't cwear before God there ain't oil there" he challenged
 "No," agreed Kane, flor only God knows"
 It was a serious moment. Scoggire nodded. "Fn: glad you said that said it the way you did. l. makes me sorta believe in you mole'n if you said you did know there weren't any"
 Again few moments of silence, then he spoke again. Course, my man, the feller who's goin' to run the test well for me, he said you'd say there weren't none, he said Miss Judy'd see to that"
 And you believed I'd do such a thing, MT. Scoggins?"
 NO, I didn't, and I up and told him so."
 And how do you feel about this now?" Judith's voice trembled in spite of her effort at controlling it.
 q Miss Judy .. if it wasn't just for Tommy and Name, I'd say, forgit it, but your man here says maybe .. that is he wouldn't swear there weren't no oil. Miss Judy, just got to go on and see fer myself"
 'I don't blame you bit" declared Judith, to the utter astonishmem of everyone present, Scoggins in. cluded. Its the only thing to dc under the circumstances. If we went ahead and flooded the basin you'd spend the rest of your life wondering if you'd done wrong. You'd never use yard of water for your orange trees without won. dering if that water had washed over land that covered oil"
 That's just it, exactly" mur. mured Scoggins in wonder" exactly. You ain't mindin' me goin' on ther and you stoppin' work on the dam?'
 MT. Scoggins, do you realize fl stop work on the dam, and yom well doesn't come in, you'll put youl planting back one whole year? Ant you'll put the planting of every other farmer along the river back tha same length of timer"
 (Copyright, 1881. by Jeanne BopmasJ
 Tomorrow, Judith discloses her
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