xious about that
broken sluice. It's our weak point, and he's sure to tackle it."

"Yes," agreed Geoffrey, whose face was strangely set. "I am anxious
about it, too. Can you suggest anything I should do, Mr. Gray?"

The Vancouver lawyer, who had a long experience in somewhat similar
disputes, hitched forward his chair. "Not at present," he answered.
"I think with Mr. Savine that the question of the sluice gate may be
serious. Allowances are made for unpreventable accidents and force of
circumstances, but a definite instance of a wholly inefficient
appliance or defective workmanship might be most damaging. It is
particularly unfortunate it was framed timber of insufficient strength
that failed."

Geoffrey made no answer, but Thomas Savine, who glanced at him keenly,
fancied he set his teeth while the lawyer, turning to the official
inquirer, said:

"These gentlemen have given you all the information in their power, and
if you have finished with them, I would venture to suggest that any
technical details of the work concern only Mr. Thurston and yourself."

There was a protest from the assembly, and the officer beckoned for
silence before he answered:

"You gentlemen seem determined between you to conduct the whole case
your own way. I was about to dismiss with thanks the neighboring
landholders who have assisted me to the best of their ability."

With some commotion the store-shed was emptied of all but the official,
his assistant, and Thurston's party. Beckoning to Geoffrey, the
official held up before his astonished eyes a plan of the defective
gate. "Do you consider the timbering specified here sufficient for the
strain?" he asked. "I cannot press the question, but it would be
judicious of you to answer it."

"No!" replied Geoffrey, divided between surprise and dismay.

The drawing was Savine's. He could recognize the figures upon it, but
it had evidently been made when the contractor was suffering from a
badly-clouded brain. The broken gate itself was damaging evidence, but
this was worse, for a glance at the design showed him that the
artificers who worked from it had, without orders even, slightly
increased the dimensions. Any man with a knowledge of mechanical
science would condemn it, but, while he had often seen Savine incapable
of mental effort of late, this was the first serious blunder that he
had discovered. The mistake, he knew, would be taken as evidence of
sheer incapacity; if fur