THE RIVER [Illustration] THE RIVER _By_ EDNAH AIKEN ILLUSTRATED BY SIDNEY H. RIESENBERG [Illustration] 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