Pete," as Lonesome Pete's red head surged forward through the crowd of
working-men, "come here!"
Pete came, and came running.
"Get on your horse. Kill him getting to Miss Argyl's Dam. Open the
gates there and turn the water into the canal. And for God's sake
hurry!"
And Lonesome Pete, with one wild yell of understanding, fled. The Lark
had swung about, calling upon his men by name, and as he called fifty
big, quick-eyed men leaped forward to fall quickly into the sections
bossed by the men whose names the Lark was shouting. The dirt and
stones had not ceased rolling and rattling down the rocky walls of the
canon when fifty men with picks and crowbars were rushing along its
banks to the Jaws. And as Greek Conniston hurled his orders at the
Lark and the Lark snatched them up, shouting to the men about him,
horses were hitched to plows and scrapers and driven, galloping, to
the Jaws.
The five men for whom Conniston had called and whom the Lark had
selected came to him quickly.
"Get into Mr. Crawford's buckboard," he called, sharply, to two of
them. "Drive to Dam Number Two and open the gates there, turning every
bit of water you can into the canal! You three men get saddle-horses.
You," to one of them, "rush to Crawfordsville and telephone to Tommy
Garton. Tell him what has happened. Tell him to send me two hundred
men on the run.
Pages:
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350