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When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and Flooded the Imperial Valley of California CHAPTER XVlll—Continued. — 9— His eyes glued to the lurching sta tion-house, Babcock took a brown paper-rolled cigarette from the prof fered box. “Look,” he cried. “There, she'll go. See that —” There was a splash of splintering timber; a Niagara of spray as the building fell Into the flood. A minute Inter, a wreckage of painted boards was floating downstream. At table Babcock resumed his cam paign. “The trouble with you all, you have cold feet. You’re all scared off too soon.” Wooster, up from his nap, looked across the table. “Cold feet? So you'd have If you had been up for nights, wetting your feet on the levee, ns some of us have, as Hardin has. Mine nre cold all right.” He lifted an amazed foot. "Cold! Look here, boys, they’re wet I" The men looked to find the water creeping In —Bab- cock climbed on his chair. “This means the stntion,” cried Wooster. Every man Jumped. If the waters had got to them, It wouldn’t be long before they were reaching the O. P. depot 1 The tracks would go— They were piling out of the door when the telephone caught them. It was n message from Rickard. A car was to be rigged up, papers, tickets and express matter taken from the station. The river wns cutting close to the track. The car would be the terminal, a half-mile from town. The situation looked blnck. Coul ter, Eggers, began to pack their stock. The levee, it wns suld, would not bold —half of Mexicnll was gone. Calexico would go next. Rickard’s Indians were kept stolidly piling brush a.-5d staffed sacks on the levee. This, the word ran, would be the tierce night— no one expected to sleep. They were preparing for the big battle, the final strxggle, when the grade recession passed the town. Spectacular ns wee Its coming, there was an anticlimax In Its retreat. The water reached the platform of the depot, and halted. The town held Its brenth. There was some sleep that night. The next day, the nerves of the val ley relaxed. The river was not cut ting back. The men at the levee dropped their shovels, and went back to the discussion of their lawsuits. Their crops were ruined; too much water, or too little. Whatever way they had been hurt, the compnny would have to pay for It! A small shift guarded the river. Rickard, In his room at the Desert hotel, and Hardin up the river, slept a day and a night without waking. The rhalr-tllters picked up their urgument where they had left It; was the rail road reaping a hnrvest of damage suits when they should be thnnked instead? Faraday, the newspapers reported, was trying to shift Ills re sponsibility ; be had appealed to the The Ranches Were Ruined. president. Their correspondence wns published. The government was In no j hurry to tnke the burden. A tele graphic sermon, preaching duty, dis tributing blame, wns sent from Wush- . lngton. Perhaps not Faraday himself was more disturbed than the debaters of the Desert hotel. "The railroad's no Infunt In arms! It wasn't asleep when it took over the affairs of the D. U." Here spoke the mnjorlty "A benefaction! It wns self-interest! When the river Is harnessed, who'll profit the most from the valley prosperity? It can afford to pay the obligations; that Is. It could. It will find away,” the ravens croaked, "of shaking the Desert Re clamation company's debts; of evad i*fi the damage suits. Look how Unrdln wus treated!” The feeling ran higher. For many •f the rnnehers were ruined; there was no money to put In the next roar’s crop unless the promises of the sow posy were kept. A The RIVER | few landowners, and others who had I not completed their contracts, dis ! trusting the good faith of the com pany, or Its ability to pay, had “quit” In disgust, to begin again some where else. Parrish, and Dowker, and others of the “Sixth” scoured dis trict had secured the promise of em ployment at the Heading. Work, It wns expected, would be begun at once now that the danger to Calexico had passed. CHAPTER XIX. More Oratory. Four men sat at a small table In a corner of the crowded hotel dining room. In El Centro. Their names made their corner the psychological center of the room. Mnrshall was al ways a target of speculation. Mac- Lean, straight and soldierly In his mustard-colored clothes, was, as usual, the man of distinction. Black start ed the whisper going that the dark stranger was General de la Vega, the Mexican commissioner. What was he doing In that group? Babcock completed a combination which encouraged speculations and head-shakings. The room was Jammed with valley men. The meeting of the rnnehers and the several water com panies hnd been called for that after noon, the summons signed by Fara day himself. Nothing else had been talked of for a fortnight. It wns known throughout the valley thnt the work at the Intake was not yet begun; that Rickard was waiting there for orders; that Faraday and the president of the United States were involved in correspondence as to the responsibility for the future con trol of the river. Faraday’s eagerness to shift his burden wns looked upon as suspicious. It was In the air that the officers of the Overland Pacific would demand a recall of the damage suits before they would complete the protective works at the Heading. The men of long vision, members of the water aompanles, and Brandon, through the valley Star, were pointing out that the valley’s salvation depend ed on the Immediate control of the river; that the railroad, only, had power to effect It. These conservatives were counseling caution. Only that morning, the Star had Issued an extra, a special edition pleading for co-opera tion. “If the river breaks out again,” warned Brandon's editorlnl, “without Immediate force to restrain it, recla mation for that valley Is a dream that Is done. And the only force equal to that emergency Is the railroad. Why deliberately antagonize the railroad? The Desert Reclamation company, it is well known, Is bankrupt. For the Instant, the railroad has assumed the responsibilities of the smaller organi zation. Apply the same situation to individuals. Suppose a private citizen is In straits, and another comes for ward to help him. Must every cred itor assume that the Samaritan should pay the crushed citizen's bills? In the present Issue, self-interest should urgq consideration. Better a small loss today that tomorrow may amply re fund, than total ruin In the future.” Hardin, from bis morose unshared : table, could see the anxious curiosity j setting toward the railroad group Over glasses, heads were close gether. Near him, the talk ran lilgb. Scraps of Inllammable speeches blew 1 bis wuy from Barton's party. Hardin’s mouth wore a set sneer. “Water company talk!" Black was hnrangulug his comrades. “Stand out against them. Don't let them bluff you. Marshall will try to bluff you. Stand together I" Barton's resonnnt organ broke through the clatter. “Marshall is not going to blt.IT us.” Grace and Black begun to talk at once. Hardin's lip grew rougher. they all been If It had not been for hint? Why, he'd pulled them from their little farms hack East, wlu.is they were tolling—where they'd It* tolling yet. They'd had the vision of sudden wealth—they hadn't the grit to work for It, to wait for It 1 How many years had he been struggling? He was a young man when he'd gone j into this tiling, und he was old now. Coffee anil cigars hnd been • reached of the midday dinner. Bab cock was nervously consulting his watch. "Shouldn't we arrange the meeting?" he asked for the third time. The social and casual air of the meet ing had tensed him. Wlint hnd the po litical situation In Mexico to do with the Important session confronting them? His fussy soul hud no polite sulons; office rooms every one of them. MncLean looked to Tod Mar shall to answer. “I think It will nrrange Itself." His voice was silken. “It Is to be ■ dls . mission, a conference. You can't slate that.” “We could program,” began Bab cock, looking at his watch again, “I don't think we'll have to.” Mar shall smiled ucross the table. “You'll find this meeting will run Itself. There Is not a mun here who Is wot hunting i to speuk. Look at ‘hem now 1 Drop a paper In thnt crowd, and see tho blaze you'd get I You enn open the meeting, Mr. Babcock, and I would THE GILPIN OBSERVER suggest that you call on Mr. De la Vega first.” The eyes of the dining room fol lowed the party as they filed past the buzzing tables. Faraday was not In ; town; Marshall represented that pow er. As he walked out, bowing right and left, his right hand occasionally extended In his well-known oratorical, courteous gesture. His black tie was stringing down his shirt front; his black clothes were the worse for his lunch. But no one, save the Eastern girls, saw spots or tie. The future of that valley lay In that man's hand, no matter how Blnck or Grace might harangue. In five minutes, the dining room was epiptled. As snow gently falling, had gath ered the first damage suits of the ranchers. The lust flood bad precipi tated a temperamental storm. Men were suing for the possible values of their farms, Impossible values of crops. Not alone the companies had been blanketed with the accusing pa pers, but against Mexico the white drifts had piled up. Mexico 1 No one knew better than Hardin how absurd It was to accuse the sister country of responsibility. A pretty pickle they were In I Where was It all going to end? In the lobby, Hardin ran up against Brandon, who was following a news scent. Through the valley It was being rumored that subscriptions were to be asked for the completion of the work. If this were the intention, there would be a hot meeting. “You are going on the platform?” assumed the newspaper man. “No? Then will you sit with me?” “If you will sit upstairs,” scowled Hardin, “I don't want to be dragged onto the platform.” Down In the orchestra, Black from the Wistaria was haranguing a group of gesticulating ranchers. Phrases climbed to the men on the balcony seats. “Keep their pledges. Promise makers. Let them look at our crops!" “If Marshall expects to coerce those men, I lose my guess. Then he's no Judge of men,” cried Hardin. “Look at those faces." The floor was a sea of Impassioned features. “Something's going to drop,” echoed Brandon. From the wings, Babcock's Inquisi tive glasses were seen to sweep the house. Hardin could catch the sum mons of an excited forefinger to the group unseen. There was a minute of delay. Then Babcock's nervous toddle curried him onto the stage. De la Vega followed Babcock. There was a hush of curiosity. The house did not know who he was. Be hind him, soldierly, stiff, stalked Mne- Lenn. Marshall’s entrance released the tongues. There was an Interval of confusion on the stuge. Babcock, like a restless terrier, was snapping at the heels of the party. At last, they were all fussily seated. De la Vega was given the place of honor. Marshall, Babcock put on his left, MucLeun on the right. Babcock raised his staccato gavel. A bush fell on the house. Ills words were clipped and sharp. “You huve left your plowing to come here. You are anxious to hear what we have to say to you. You cannot 1 afford to be lndiffereat to It. You ac knowledge, by your presence, a de pendence, a correlation which you would like to deny. Irrigation meuns co-operation, suffering together, strag gling together, succeeding together. You prefer the old individual wuy, each man for himself. 1 tell you it won’t do. You belong In other coun tries, the countries of old-fashioned rain. You want to henr wliat we have to suy to you, the company who suved the valley, tile compuny you are suing. But you huve also suits ugulust Mex ico, There Is a gentleman here who lias a message from Mexico about those suits. I huve the honor, gentle men, to Introduce, Senor de la Vcgu." “Ladles," bowed the Mexican. "Gen tlemen, Mr. Cbulrmun. It is with an appreciation of the honor thnt I ac cepted for today the Invitation of Mr. Marshall to speuk before you, to speak to you; I must tell you first my thought as I nut there and looked at you, the youth, the flower of the Amer ica n people. A few years ago, we were calling this the great Colorado desert; now, the world calls It the hothouse of America. This theater la built over the bones of gold-seekers, who dared death In this dreaded desert to find what wns burled In those mountains beyond. The man, I say, who crossed this desert, took the hazard of death. It was a coun tryman of mine who piloted, fifteen years ago, a little band of tnen, across the desert. Perhups he camped on this very spot. It Is not Impossible! It Is here, perhaps, that he got his Inspiration. He snw n wonderful ter ritory ; he dreamed to quicken It with the useless waters of the Colorado. You will all agree that It was Guil lermo Kstrnda who dreamed the dream thnt has come true; that It was through him thnt some of your coun trymen secured their privilege to re claim this land. Later, when one of your countrymen found he could not fulfill his promise to you, the promise to de liver water to your ranches, be came to my nation and got permission to cut Into the river on our territory. Most gladly did Porfirlo Diaz grant that privilege. For that, today, you are suing him. This, I am told, Is yonr complaint.” His abrupt pause betrayed a con fused murmur of voices. De la Vega’s polite ear tried to differentiate the phrases. There was a Jumble of sound. De la Vega looked Inquiringly at Bab cock, who waved him on. “It has nothing to do with the his tory, but I would like to say In passing that so assured were your people of our frendly feeling toward you that they did not wait to receive permis sion from Mexico to make the cut Yonr people were In a hurry. Your crops were In danger. First the lack of water, then too mnch water dam aged your valley. A few acres—” A voice from the crowd cried out, “A few acres? Thousands of acres." Instantly others were on their feet. “Thousands of acres. Ruin.” One man was shouting himself apoplectic. Babcock's gavel sounded a sharp staccato on the table. “Thousands of acres.” De la Vega was unruffled. “And more than that The valley. It must be remembered, does not stop at the line. Mexican lands, too, have been scoured by the action, the result of the action of your Irrigation company. It was a mutual,” he paused, and a quaint word came to his need. “A mutual bereavement It did not occur to us to accuse you of our troubles. Your damage suits pained and astonished ns. But they gave ns also a suggestion.” The rustling and the murmurs sud denly ceased. A prescient hush wait ed on De la Vega. “You have been ad vised to sue us. To sue us for giving you that concession. Therefore, the only answer Is for us to withdraw that concession! You accuse us, for giv ing It to you. That concession Is val uable. What else can we do? Before your damage suits were filed, we were approached by others for the same privilege. If you do not withdraw your suits, my nation sends word to yon that you may not take water from the Colorado river through Mexican soil. Yon will not be without water probably long; I have said that con cession is valuable I Other arrange ments will probably be made so that the valley will be given water. I wonld like to take your answer to my govern ment.” It was several seconds before the house got Its breath. The Import of the diplomat’s words was astounding. Barton got to his feet, yelling with his great bass voice, "Betrayed 1" His shrunken finger Indicated a youth with “R. S.” In black letters on his collar. ‘The valley has been betrayed.” In the bnleony, the uproar wns deaf ening. Around Hardin and Brandon words were thudding like bullets. “Reclamation Service." “That’s their gnme.” “The concession 1" ‘They won’t get It." “Betrayed. We are be trayed.” Downstairs. Babcock's gavel rapped unheard. Behind the excited figure wielding the stick, sat Marshall, his unreadable, sweet smile on his face. Ills eyes were on Bnbcock, who wus vainly clamoring for order. "Program that meeting.” Hollister wns trying to make him self heard to Barton over two rows of seats, hut his voice wus like a child's on an ocean beach. Barton was sur rounded by enger anxious men. The audience had split Into circles of haranguing centers. It wus Impossible to get attention. Hardin could see Mar shall pull Babcock by the tails of his coat. Unwillingly, he could see Bnb cock allow the crowd five minutes by Ills consulted watch. Then again, the gavel danced on the table. Marshnll was still smiling. Babcock's shrill voice split the din. “Order.” The ocean of voices swallowed him uguln. “We won't let them In,” Grace wns oellowlng. “the valley won't stand for It.” “Tnke your medicine,” thundered the big organ of Barton. “I warned you, Imperial valley.” “Betrayal." groaned the crowd. Down In the orchestra. Barton wns holding a hurry-up meeting of the wa ter companies. De la Vega had stepped back and was consulting with Tod Marshall. Babcock pulled out bis watch, his gavel calling for attention. This time he was heard. De la Vega approached the foot lights, a questioning look on his face. “We nsk for a little time,” began Barton. Instantly the house was on Its feet. “Withdraw the suits. Give him your answer. Give him our an swer. We don't want the Service. The valley don’t want the Service. With draw the suits.” Barton's moon face looked troubled. "We can’t answer for all the ranchers.” “Yea, yon can," screamed Grace, Jumping up and down like a baboon. "If yon don't. I’ll answer for them. Don’t you see, It's a trick? It’s a trick. I see the hand of the O. P. In this.” Friendly hands pulled him down I into his seat. The audience was chanting. “With draw the suits. Take your medicine. —Don't lose the concession.--lord, By Ednah Aiken the Service]—Give them the answer now.” Barton held up a withered hand. The undeveloped body was dignified by the splendid head. “Don’t with draw your concession. I think I can say that Mexico will not be sued.” Again, the shout went up. “Answer like a man. Think I Good Lord I Say we withdraw the suits 1” “We withdraw the claims against Mexico.” Barton sat down to a sud den hush. The first blood had been let. Once more Babcock’s glasses swept the house. He rapped the table. “That's not all. We’ve got more to say to you. Gentlemen, Mr. Marshall.” Marshall stepped forward to a si lence which was a variety of tribute. He bowed. "I will be brief. Mr. Faraday has asked me to take his place here this afternoon. It's only Marshall's Voice Rang Out. fair. If It were not for my Interfer ence, he would not be Involved In this situation. I think you will grant that It Is Mr. Faraday's company which can save the volley?” “To save Its own tracks!” yelled a voice from the balcony. Marshall sent a soft smile heaven ward. "Incidentally. And Its traffic. Why don't you say It? We don’t deny that. The Overland Pacific's no altru ist.” There was a Jeer which rose into a chorus. "Altruist 1 Octopus. That’s what it is.” Marshall's band went up. “If you want to hear me?” He waved away Babcock’s descending gnvel. “I wns told it would cost two hundred thou sand dollars to close that break of yours. Do you want the actual fig ures? It bas eaten already a million, and the work Is not yet done. You know the history of the undertaking. The Desert Reclamation compuny was in straits. Faraday promised his help on the condition that the affairs of the Desert Reclamation compnny would be controlled by his compnny. He took the control. He inherited — what? Not good will. Threats, dam age suits. Do you think thnt snow slide of complaints is going to encour age him to go on? This Is whnt I came here to tnlk to you about. You ranch ers don’t wont to cut your own thronts. Now, there’s n good deni going on about which you nre In the dark. Faraday's got n right to feel he's shouldered an old man of tho sen. He's been trying to dislodge it. He’s appealed to the president. Ever since we came Into this, the cry from Wash ington hus been, ’Do this the way we like, or we'll not tnke It off your hands.' ” A murmur of nngry voices started somewhere, swelling toward the balcony. “We don't want the government— begun the rising voices. Marshall's voice rang out: "But the government wants —you 1 Unless you will help save your own homes, the government will have to, In time. It's got to. Up there at Laguna, have you seen It? There's nothing go ing on. They're watching us. That’s a useless toy If our works nre washed out. Faraday snys this to you—” Not a sound In the stilled house. “Unless you withdraw your damage suits, he won’t advance another damned cent.” Sharply be sat down before the au dience realized that his message wns finished. The house hnd not found Its voice, when Babcock's gnvel wns pounding again for attention. The question, he felt, had not been put to them completely. Perhaps, they did not gather the full Import of Mr. Mar shall's message. Mr. Mac Lean would follow Mr. Marshall. MacLcan's superb figure rose from a tree-paneled background. “He should sing ’Brown October Ale,'" suggested Brandon to Hardin humorously. Hardin’s eyes were on Mac Lean. Whnt did he know about It? What could be tell those men that they did not know? Mac Lean was a flgurehend In the reorganized Irrigation company. Why hadn't they called on him, Har- Copyright, Bobbo-Merrill Company din? He knew more about the Involved history of the two companies than the whole bunch on the stage down yon der. He could have told them, he could have called on their their memory— Mac Lean was speaking, “Mr. Marshall has likened the river project to the old man of the sea. He has it on his back, while It la busily kicking him In the shins 1 “Mr. Marshall has given you Mr. Faraday's message. He has asked you to dismiss your damage suits. I ask you to do more than that Put your hands In your pockets 1 Come out and help us. You don’t want the government I am told that Is the sentiment of the valley. When you called to them, they wouldn’t help you; they wouldn't give you an ade quate price. Congress will soon be adjourning. What is Mr. Faraday to say to Washington? Is he going to close that break? That depends on you. Withdraw your suits. Do more. Stop fighting against us. Fight with us—” The audience stirred ominously) angrily. Before Mac Lean was done, a voice screamed from the balcony. “You can't quit. That’s a threat. You’re in too deep. You can't fool us. You’ve got to save yourself. You’ve got to go on. Tell Faraday to tell that to Washington.” The uproar was released. Black, from the Wistaria, Jumped on his chair. "I am speaking for the valley. We can’t help. You know It. We’re stripped. We're ruined. You think to threaten us with the government—lf we wait for the government to decide, the valley is gone—and the railroad’s money with it I tell you, your bluff won't go. We want Justice. We are going to have Justice.” “Justice!” came from the surging ranchers. “Fair play,” yelled Black. "You can’t trick us. We were not born yesterday. We have rights. The company brought us here. What did we give our money for? Desert land? What good is this land without water? We bought wa ter. Give us back the money we’ve put In—that's what we're asking for. We won't be scared out of our rights." There was a growling accompani ment from the back rows, herding to gether. “Order," cried Babcock, thumping his gavel. “Let Mr. Black have the floor.” Black had not stopped. Wildly his hands cut the air. His speech, though high-pitched, had a prepared sound; It worked toward a climax. He gave Individual Instances of ruin. “Grace, Willard Grace, his crop gone, his place cut In two. Hollister und Wilson of the Palo Verde, the ranch a scream ing horror. Scores of others." He would not mention his own case; and then he Itemized his misfortunes. Par rish, his place scoured beyond all fu ture usefulness. What hnd they come Into the valley for? Who had urged them? There were pledges of the D. R., water pledges. That was all those ruined men were pleading, the redemp tion of those pledges. Individual ruin, whnt did It mean? A curtailing of lux uries, of personal Indulgence. “I tell you, It means food, bread, potatoes; milk for the babies; or starvation.” Black hud touched the deep note. This wus the answer. This was what they wanted to say. "You ask us to help you, us, we who nre taxed already to our breaking point. You suy your company won’t go any further. What does that help mean to you? Poverty? A few thou sands, a million to the O. P., a cor poration. what does a loss mean to them? Poverty? I tell you, no. A smaller dividend, mnybe, to whom? Yes. to whom? To the men who live In Fifth avenue, whose wives are dragged about In limousines. With draw their suits? Help Faraday, and ruin men like Parrish? Men of the valley, what Is your answer to Fara day?" The crowd was on Its feet, swaying and pushing. The air was fetid with breaths. Wilson's crowd had forgotten its lorgnettes. "No.” yelled the ranch ers. “We say, no." A boy made his way from the wings, a yellow envelope In his hand. Babcock waved him on to Marshall. The audience was crying Itself hoarse. Bnbcock lost control of the meeting in that minute of turning. Hollister, of the Palo Verde, was striving to be heard; Babcock's hammer sounded In vnln. But Marshall’s eye lmd caught a spark from the yellow sheet. He sprang forward, throwing the dispatch toward Mac Lean. His excitement caught the eye of the crowd. "The river I” There was a sudden bush. "The river's out again I" A groan swept through the house, there was • break toward the doors. (TO BB CONTINUED.) You Oughts Know That, Undo. “Fine dog you have there, my little man,” remarked the kind old gentle man. “What do you call him?" “Don’t hafta to call him,” answered my little man. “He goes every place I do." Optimistic Thought. Be who knows nothing know* eaohffe If he knows whea I* be stint.