powerful enough to move the earth." Dan grinned,
delighted with his own wit, but his cowboys only continued to stare at
him solemnly.

"Glad you felt a little motion, though you was pretty safe out of the
way," Jim went on in the same quiet fashion. "Seems like I could shut my
eyes and tell you just how that earthquake happened. You ought to have
seen the waters of Rainbow Creek dash up in the air and then begin to
slide plum out of sight. It was most like a miracle."

Dan faced Jim impudently. "Well, go on, tell us how your miracle
happened?" he invited scornfully.

Jacqueline was puzzled. She had no idea how Jim would be able to explain
the peculiar phenomenon which they had just seen.

"Oh, a charge of dynamite caused our little earthquake," Jim explained
briefly.

"You see, Mr. Norton, you have been trying to drain the water from our
creek to your ranch for some time back, but digging a lower channel was
pretty slow work. That little bunch of dynamite just between your land
and our lake has made a pretty nice passage for our water to flow
through. I suppose you made your entrance underground somewhere near
that clump of sage brush, so it would be hard for us to discover."

Dan shrugged his heavy shoulders, "What rotten nonsense," he returned
sullenly.

Jacqueline's eyes were fairly starting with surprise and she opened her
lips to ask a question but closed them quickly. She couldn't expect to
comprehend Jim's accusation. What girl ever has understood anything
about engineering?

Jim laughed, straightened up and glanced toward the three cowboys, who
were grouped picturesquely on the opposite side of the divide. "Oh, you
don't have to take my word for it," he remarked casually, "I will have
one of the State engineers over to prove it to you. You see if there is
one thing we are strict about in Wyoming, it is our water rights.

"You and your father shall pay us a tidy sum of money in damages for
this work." Jim slowly let go the tight knot which had held Dan Norton.
"Now get along home when you like, young man," he concluded. "I am
through with you for to-day."

Dan flung the lasso to the ground and glared angrily at Jim and then at
Jack. But his eyes fell before Jacqueline Ralston's. Jack was looking at
him steadily with the scornful, slightly haughty expression he so hated.

Dan smiled. His light blue eyes were almost green with temper and
narrowed into two fine lines. "Oh, it don't matter about your old