Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHISPERING SAGE. would have been more appropriate for this meeting. “ All right, Acklin,” Bodine answered in reply to the other’s question. “ I’ll put my cards on the table. Here they are. Pm going to turn that water back into the Web- ster! I’ve been over the spot where the creeks used to fork a hundred times. Nature changed that water in one night. I'll do it quicker than that. There is noth- ing but sand and small rock there. Two days after it is done, no man on earth can prove that old Lady Nature didn’t twist it for the second time. These Basques were satisfied to take what she gave them once. By God, they’ll have ‘to be satisfied a second time! I -won’t have any cloudburst to help me out. They can think I turned it; but they won’t be able to prove it; not if I can keep them away for a few days. Remember all the time, too, that the State says I am to have fourteen inches of water here. No one has-ever proved that I haven’t the right by law to turn that water back. Only, when I turn it back, I’m going to turn all of it. That’s where you are going to be in- terested. Webster Creek peters out in that sink two miles below here. Once the water is in this creek it isn’t ‘ contiguous water ’ to any stream on earth. Between us we'll take what we please and let the balance go to the devil. My boys will be here in a day or so, they’ll do this job. They won’t talk, either. I'll tip you off the night I intend to do it. You be there, or send your foreman. Just so I'll know I don’t stand alone.” Bodine bent over and picked up a stick. With it he drew in the sand at his feet a rough map of the valley. ‘It’s almost due east from here to the old forks of these creeks. But right here, just as Webster Creek neared the other one, it turned north. For almost half a mile they paralleled each other before they met. Your line follows this creek across the valley, only it keeps straight on right into those foot- hills. That means that Webster Creek flowed through your property for that half mile. That’s right, ain’t it?” Acklin nodded in assent. ‘Well, when the night comes I want you to have your men ride your line. Don’t let any one through. Keep your boys there 809 for a few days. Pass the word that some one’s runnin’ an iron on your stuff. That ’ll be excuse enough. We'll be safe then.” “ But what about the morning aftere As soon as the water drops the Basques will come on the run. They won’t wait for the law.” ‘Let ’em come! It means a fortune to us. We've got to expect a fight. There'll be gun-play and hell for fair. I’m willing to risk it. Are you?” Acklin got to his feet and brushed the dust from his corduroys. ‘‘ Bodine,” he said, “ you undersetimate what this fight will be. Old José will rally his crowd around him for a real war. They can’t live without that water. I’ve been through these affairs before; I know what they mean. There will be reprisals; cattle will be killed or run off. It will take a lot of my men. The whole routine of the place will be scrambled; and that’s got to be ironed out before the fall round-up is on. You keep still for a couple of days. I’ll give _ you my answer then.” Although by this arrangement the matter rested, neither man waited to act. Acklin had not even reached home before Bodine had started Shorty on his way to the Malheur Lakes, to find Gloomy and his other men. And once Acklin had reached the Bull’s Head, he immediately sent for Morrow, his foreman. “Cash,” he said, “ we’ve been. thick- headed. This fellow Bodine has put his finger on the thing we should have seen first shot.” He repeated their conversation to him. “Don’t that beat all!” Cash exclaimed. “With all of the water flowing into the Webster, and petering out in the sink, why, we wouldn’t have to give a whoop for those fellows down on the Washoe. Webster Creek and the Little Washoe River don’t get within ten miles of each other. It was Just a case of whole hog or none. We're getting too refined.” “Well, I’m tempted to risk it, Cash. Suppose we string along for a while. Let him and his men do the actual work. You just drop around about the time they are there—you know, casual-like—if you ever have to swear to it. In the meantime send comicloool C©