ry about the sneak they
made; and there wasn't a shot fired on either side, so Ramos wasn't
shot then. I'll bank on Willy's word for that."

XXVII

White promptly made good his promise concerning the ditches. Within a
week his dredger had eaten its way through sawgrass, water and muck
from the headwaters of the Chokohatchee to Deer Key, digging a broad,
main drainage canal through the middle of Payne's thousand acres of
drowned land. Higgins' calculations proved themselves in practice, and
the big ditch soon drew off the bulk of the surface water on the track.
The work of cutting the small lateral canals progressed rapidly with
the smaller ditching machine. White worked his men in two shifts, and
kept his shovels at work day and night. He made no effort to conceal
the reason for his haste.

"I took the job, and I'll see it through," said he, "but outside of
collecting my money the best part of this job to me will be when I wind
it up and get out."

"Still," retorted Higgins, to whom the statement was made, "you don't
look exactly like a man troubled with cold feet."

But White would not permit himself to be drawn out.

"I'll be glad when I look back from my tug and see Gumbo Key behind me;
that's all I'm saying."

As the work progressed and it became apparent that the muck lands could
be sufficiently drained to be available for agricultural purposes,
Roger grew puzzled. There had been so far no opposition or
interference from Garman. Apparently he had been sincere in his
declaration that he wished to see Roger successful in the development
of the tract. Garman himself was not seen during the period that the
ditcher was at work, but the conduct of his employees made it obvious
that they had received orders to assist, not interfere with the
draining project. One day the proud Egret stopped to tow a disabled
supply boat up the river for White's crew. Another time two of
Garman's men came out and took the place of a pair of ditch workers who
were ill.

Why was Garman doing it? What was behind his apparent friendliness?

Roger gave up the puzzle. In fact, he had discovered that he was not
so vitally interested in his land project as he had thought himself to
be. He worked and saw that his men worked, and kept the job up to the
program he had outlined. And he tossed at night on his camp cot, his
mind tortured with other thoughts.

White completed his job, pocketed his check and chugged away do