en have blankets with them. We can rush more from Mr. Crawford's
store in Crawfordsville. We can make out as to food. Have you figured
out what more horses, what further tools you'll need? That's good.
Send a man to the Half Moon right now with word to Rawhide Jones to
rush us the horses. Put your new men to work in the morning if you
have to make them dig ditch with shovels. Also send a hundred of them
into Valley City as soon as it's daylight to begin the cross-ditches.
Let Ben go with them. He can get his instructions there from me or
from Tommy Garton. How is everything going?"

Brayley reported that the work was running smoothly, that his foremen
were as good men as he ever wanted to see, that he had no fault to
find anywhere.

"An' this ol' ditch is sure growin', Con," he finished, with a sudden
gleam of pride.

Conniston did not wait for the arrival of the wagons to ride on into
Valley City. Kent he left behind him at the camp.

"I've a tremendous curiosity to see how you do this sort of thing,"
Kent confided to him, as he handed Conniston the message he wished
sent from Valley City to Clayton & Paxton, of Denver. "I think that if
Mr. Brayley has no objections and can spare me a blanket and some
bread and coffee I'll roost here and watch the ditch grow in the
morning."

Tommy Garton was still perched upon his high stool when Conniston came
to the office.

"Just through, though," he said, as he climbed down and with the aid
of his crutches piloted his new legs toward the door, grasping
Conniston's hand warmly. "Good news, eh, Greek?"

"The best, Tommy. If we don't put this thing across now we ought to be
kicked from one end of the desert to the other. By the way, I had a
visit from Swinnerton this afternoon."

He told of what had passed, and ended, thoughtfully:

"What do you suppose was his object, Tommy? Just wanted to get a peek
at what we have done?"

Garton laughed softly.

"You poor old innocent. Don't you know what the little man was after?
Didn't he make it plain that he wanted you to double cross the old
man? Didn't he make it plain that he was in a position to make it
worth your while? If our scheme fails, don't you see that you can go
to Swinnerton and demand and get a good job working for his scheme?
He has bought many a man, Greek. It is his theory that he can buy any
man he wants to buy."

"And I let him get away without slapping his little red face,"
muttered Conniston, disgustedly.