Chapter I: Front Matter

THE RIVER

THE RIVER

_By_
EDNAH AIKEN

ILLUSTRATED BY
SIDNEY H. RIESENBERG

INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

COPYRIGHT 1914
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
BROOKLYN, N. Y.

TO
CHARLES SEDGWICK AIKEN

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I MARSHALL SENDS FOR RICKARD 1

II A BIT OF ORATORY 9

III THE BLESSING OF ARIDITY 20

IV THE DESERT HOTEL 38

V A GAME OF CHECKERS 50

VI RED TAPE 67

VII A GARDEN IN A DESERT 80

VIII UNDER THE VENEER 87

IX ON THE WISTARIA 95

X FEAR 103

XI THE RIVALS 111

XII A DESERT DINNER 117

XIII THE FIGHTING CHANCE 127

XIV HARDIN’S LUCK 137

XV THE WRONG MAN 141

XVI THE BEST LAID SCHEMES 150

XVII THE DRAGON TAKES A HAND 159

XVIII ON THE LEVEE 169

XIX THE WHITE REFUGE 178

XX OPPOSITION 189

XXI A MORNING RIDE 199

XXII THE PASSING OF THE WATERS 204

XXIII MORE ORATORY 214

XXIV A SOFT NOOK 234

XXV THE STOKERS 247

XXVI THE WHITE OLEANDER 256

XXVII A WHITE WOMAN AND A BROWN 264

XXVIII BETRAYAL 271

XXIX RICKARD MAKES A NEW ENEMY AND A NEW FRIEND 278

XXX SMUDGE 290

XXXI TIME THE UMPIRE 297

XXXII THE WALK HOME 307

XXXIII A DISCOVERY 319

XXXIV THE FACE IN THE WILLOWS 329

XXXV A GLIMPSE OF FREEDOM 337

XXXVI THE DRAGON SCORES 346

XXXVII A SUNDAY SPECTACLE 355

XXXVIII THE WHITE NIGHT 367

XXXIX THE BATTLE IN THE NIGHT 378

XL A DESERTION 396

XLI INCOMPLETENESS 405

XLII A CORNER OF HIS HEART 417

THE RIVER

THE RIVER