Show r i 43 When the Colorado Burst Its Banks and Th S he e R River IVer Flooded the the- Imperial Valley gf rf California By E EDNAH D N A H AIK AIKEN E N C Copyright bt Merrill Bobbs Company S RICKARD GOES IN AND AS HE GOES HE BEGINS TO APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTIES OF HIS POSITION Synopsis m K C. C RIckard an engineer of the Overland Pacific railroad railroad rail rail- r road Is called to the office of ot President Marshall In Tuscon Tusson Ariz While waiting RIckard reads a report on the ravages of the Colorado river despite the efforts of Thomas Hard Hardin n head of the Desert Reclamation company company Hardin had been a student under Rickard In an 00 eastern college college col- col j lege and had married Gerty Holmes with whom Rickard had fancied he was In love loe Marshall tells RI Rickard kard the Overland Pacific must step In to save the Imperial valley and wishes to send Rickard to take charge j ii Rickard declines because he be foresees embarrassment In supplanting Hardin but Is won over I CHA CHAPTER j III II 2 Y The Blessing of Aridity When Rickard left the main malo line at Imperial Junction the next afternoon dl Ills is eyes followed the train he wat was wa t deserting rather than the one that was to carry arry him to his new labors He felt again the thrill of detachment that Invariably preceded his entrance C Into a new ew country With the pulling up of the he porters porter's green-carpeted green stool the slamming of the train gates the curtain fell on the Tucson set scene The long line of cars was pushing L off with Its linen-covered linen Pullmans t and diners steaming down grade c towa toward d the Sink the depression which had been primeval sea and then desert desert des- des It ert and was now sea again Old t Reach Imperial Junction t J. J for railroad convenience was Itself V- V lo lower loer er than the ancient sea line where o once e the gulf had reached Rickard i- i S knew kne he could GOuld find shells at that desert desert desert des- des ert ert station should he look for them S He picked up his bag that the porter t I had had thrown on the ground and faced aced ift the rung down curtain Its Its Its' painted scene was a yellow sta- sta 4 1 tl thin n h house use broiling under a desert n sun a large water tank beyond and andIn andIn In the distance the inevitable cardboard card- card t b board ard mountains tike like property scene shifts flat fiat and thin In their unreal t- t hues of burnished pink and purple A Az z dusty accommodation train was backIng backIng backing back- back Ing and switching picking up the empty refrigerator cars to carry intoRf Into Rf the valley for the early melon growers s w Already the valley had asserted Its Industrial Importance the late ram rara- rampage ram 1 pOage page of the Colorado had made It ity 1 y spectacular Those who would pay WI S little attention to the opening of anew anew a a- new agricultural district In the heart of a dreaded desert opened t their ears i r s to the vagary of the river- river which had bad f made of a part of that desert des- des Ff f crt ert an Inland sea Scientists were tt f rus rushing their speculations into print t would the sea dwindle by evaporation as as It had done before Or would the overflow maintain n PI the paradoxical ki sea seat 91 The flood signs were apparent There cracks had split spIlt the desert sand here water fissures had menthe menaced menaced men men- aced the track and to the south south a fringe of young willows hid bid the path r- r of f the Colorados Colorado's debouch The Themen men crowding the platform ar wore the motley of the new country In Tucson the tle uniform of the the- male citizens with with the exception of those reckless ones who found Inevitably that lotus Is a liquid was the wilted S pretense of a gentle civilization despondent despondent despondent de de- ducks and khakis and limp r collars Imperial Junction marked the theof downfall of the collar The rest of the composite costume costume was was Irregular badly laundered and torn faded and sunburned the clothes S of the desert soldier Rickard saw shirts faded overalls shabby hats hats hats- the sombrero of Mexico The faces I under the thc broad brimmed hats made a ar r leaping Impression upon him of youth and eagerness He lIe noted a significant e average of Intelligence and alertness ms' ms This was not the indolent group of men which makes a pretense of occupation occupation occupation pation whenever a train comes In k I Going in Z asked a voice at his ear A pair of fa faded In young young- a old face whether early withered or orwell orwell well preserved he had not time to determine determine determine de de- termine was staring at him He assured his Interlocutor that he e ewas was going in His Ills mood Isolated th the phrase Its significance vastly different different differ durer- ent from going on I Buying Ja SS- SS SSI I 1 think not not J. J It Is n a good time to buy Rickard K suspected a real estate agent Forland Forland For I rock bottom prices ona on oni land Is low rock low a i count of the uneasiness a about ut th the they y J riser People are afraid They want 1 I to see the company company redeem some some of its promises before they come In a and d th the company Isn't In mu much h of a al l hurry f II Rickard asked what company be he referred referred re re- to i The young young old old face with thc the faded faded r eyes looked at him In surprise The TheD D. D R R. comp company my Desert Reclamation which brought us all here Scamps The newcomers newcomer's survey of the long line of naked mountains Wand and lean lands that formed the neck f of of the valley gave a l snub of casualness casual casual- ness Hess to the q question No Fools i The answer was as swift as a bullet Though some S people think them vorse Worse than than that that I I co 10 tn o tar far farr r Jn v willing to sn say say far far- r. c they've tried Ill I'll say that much But Butth But th they y haven't the know The window seats Rickard could see were filled before the c cars rs halted by by the experienced ones who had not waited V for the train to be made made up In the scramble he spied a vacant window on the sunny side and made for It A stranger dropped Into the seat beside him Every window Every window In the car was open Each red dusty seat scat was filled A strong A-strong strong desert wind was vas blowIng blowing blowing blow blow- ing sand Into their Into their faces discoloring the seats and covering the floor The engineer turned to his companion compan compan- ion who was coughing Do you mind this window being open Z ZId Id Id mind if it were not Its It's always bad at the Junction When we get Into Int the cultivated country you rou will see what the valley will be lIk like when when it Is all planted The wind is not bad when it ht blows vs over grain or alfalfa al al- falfa It Js is th the desert dust that nags one one He lIe coughed again Going In Z Rickard said he was going in in Are you g going to settle in the val val- ley ler The Inquisitor was as a man of about fifty Rickard decided with a desert tan of f apparent health health His face was c clear ear cut and Intelligent I dont don't know Just looking the co country over You might call cal It that t. t Go slow ad admonished his compan compan- ion Dont let yours yourself be be- carried away It is a wonderful country But go slow Its It's the ones who expect to tomake tomake tomake make millions the first year that become become become be be- come the worst knockers Go 00 Goslow slow I always t tell ll them Go Go- slow Its not a good time to buy then Z ZI I Not Kot so good as It was was ten years years ago I But land Is cheaper than it was wasa wasa wasa a a year back In some districts you youcan youcan ou can buy a a good farm for a tI ticket ket back home the farmers are so so discouraged Cold Cold feet The slang sounded oddly somehow The The l e mans man's voice had th the cultivated precision precision- of the purist Cold feet The rivets rIvers chilled them The valleys valley's losing faith In the company com com- pany pany What company inquired Rickard again Theres but one company to the valley the one one that I brought them here the D. D R They dont don't call the theral ral railroad road the company They wont won't recognize rec- rec t that problem i Its It's had hardluck hard hardluck hardluck luck from rom the first the D D. R. R At At Atthe the the tha very start the wrong man got hold of a r IA 17 C i. i r rHe He Was Going In it the first promoter was a faker a faker a pretty thorough fak faker The company reorganized but Its It's been In bad odor with the public ever since Rickard's eyes ees left the deep cuts In Inthe Inthe inthe the land made by the ravening waters and looked at his companionI companion I thought Estrada was the original promoter he be Inquired Estradas a recent comer comer oh oh you you mean the thc general He started the ball rolling that was all Bad health followIng following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing the Bliss BUss complication tied his hands The man In the seat ahead was lis lis- Ills head was leonine his body shriveled Rickard co could ld see on the the neck the ancient burns that had spared the magnificent head The r rest st of the man had been shriveled and und twisted Into terrible deformity RIckard Rickard Rickard Rick RIck- ard found himself t puzzling over the Incident with Us its accompanying mir mir- acle There was not a scar on the powerful face Estradas business methods were then not different from Bathers Bather's and Hardins Hardin's I It was a deep rich organ Oh you cant can't class Hardin with protested Rickard's com companion compan compan- panIon pan pan- ion used Hardin Hardins Hardin's honesty cannot be questioned Its It's not moneys money's hes he's after His whole heart beart heartIs Is In this reclamation scheme Hardins a false alarm growled the the owner of the massive head He ne makes promises He never keeps them The older mans man's smile was t tolerant lerant Barton he indicated is the president president president dent of the water companies And If you want to hear about a rogue and a scoundrel ask the water companies their opinion of Hardin Well Nell what sort of a hole bole has bas he got us Into demanded the other with heat 1 Hardins In n a hole himself N No one seems to remember that he cru crucified himself to save the valley Ive I've a great respect for Thomas Har Har- din Yes returned Rickard whose Ilk lik liking ing had been captured by the speaker The Impression of distinction sharp sharp- ened The stranger wore a laundered launder d pongee silk shirt open open at the neck butr but r restricted by a brown silk tie Ie and it was trimly belted There There- There There- were were but two yo t neckties in the entire car c-ar and tl they ey occupied Rickard observed d tb the same seat The beginning of the canal tem Rickard looked out upon a flat fiat one one- to toned ed country marked off In rectangles rectangles rectangles rec rec- rec- rec tangles by byr plows and and scrapers Farther Farther Farther Far Far- ther south these rectangles were edged by young willows He fancied he be could see even even even- at that distance the gleam of water It was the passing of the desert A Afew Afew Afew few miles back he had seen the desert in its primitive Its nakedness wh which cli not not even cactus relieved He was was' passing o- o over over rJ the land and which man and hors horses horses' s' s were weije preparing for water And he be the land where water Y was ls That was was was' the way Riverside looked when I first saw It commented the theother theother theother other man who wore a tie C Come me o cuton out cut outon t. t on the rear platform We can see better bet bet- ter Rickard followed to the back of the swept dust-swept stifling car car The glare on the the- platform was Intense He stood watching the newly made checkerboard rd of a country slip past him Receding were the two lines of gleaming steel rails which connected and separated him from the world outside He was going In Not in Mexico even even had had he such a feeling of ultimate remote remote- ness The mountains converging per- per toward the throat of the valley vaHey looked elusive and unreal in their gauze draperies of rose let The tender hour of day was clothIng clothing clothing cloth cloth- ing them with mystery softening their sharp outlines They curtained curtained the the world beyond Rickard felt the suspense suspense suspense sus sus- pense of the next act It was a torpid Imagination he thought which would not quicken over this tills conquest of the Desert desert East of the tract men and tea tea-ms teams were preparIng preparing preparing ing the newly furrowed ground for the seed The curved land knives were breaking up the rich mold mold- into ridges of soft soil soU as and feathery as pulverized chocolate It was the dark color of the chocolate of commerce commerce com com- merce coerce this this' silt slIt which had been pilfered pilfered pil pil- from the states through which the vagrant river wandered The smell of the upturned earth sweetly d damp mp struck against his n nostrils Rickard Indulged a n minute of whimsical fancy this was California territory over which his train was as passing but the soil that dark earth those blades were crumbling was It not the tribute of other states of despoiling Wyoming of ravishing Colorado and Arizona To the west new squares were being leveled and outlined Shrubby rectangles rectangles rectangles rec rec- rec- rec tangles were being cleared of ot their creosote creosote creosote cre cre- bush and tough mesquite Compared Compared Com Corn pared with other countries the preparation preparation preparation prepa prepa- ration for planting was the simplest Horses were dragging over the ground a II railroad rail bent into a V Vangie angle which pulled the bushes by the roots and dragged them out of the way Beyond Beyond Beyond Be Be- yond farther west could be seen the untouched desert The surface for many miles was cracked by water waterlines waterlines lines broken and baked Into irregular sand cakes the mark murk of or sand which has been Imprisoned by water and branded by swift heat Close by men were putting in with care the seed that was to quicken n the river rl silt slit They were passing a a square where here the th green tips of the grain were piercing the ground Now they were abreast of a field of matured al alfalfa alfalfa alfalfa al- al falfa over which th the wind raced grate grate- fully Desert and grain field death and life I The panorama embraced the whole cycle They went back to their seats After a few minutes the other leaned over his shoulder his hand band waving raving t toward ward the passing x mo mountains Those are the Superstition mountains you can see over yonder An unusually apt name Yes Z Why Is It good you mean That pile of dark rock stands as a monument monument monument ment to toan an effete effet superstition It is the gravestone for a gigantic mistake Why It was only the grossest Ignorance Ignorance Igno Igno- rance that gave to the desert the label of T bad ad lands The desert Is a condition condition con con- not a fact Here you see the passing of the condition the burial of the superstition Are you interested In irrigation Z I Rickard was not given to explain the thee degree of Interest his profession involved for the stranger drew a painful painful painful pain pain- ful breath and went onOr on Of Or course you are if you are a western man You are I think The engineer said he was by choice Irrigation is the creed of the West Gold brought people to this country water scientifically applied will keep them here Look at Riverside And we weare are at the primer stage only Weare We Weare Weare are way behind the ancients in Information information mation matlon on that subject I learned at school so did you that s some me of the |