d Boise, no longer regarding Johnny as an
impertinent interloper. "That's what we hope to do."

"The first thing you'll start will be a cut right across the Sancho
Hills Basin, which will shorten your haul to Puget Sound by five
hundred miles and open up a lot of rich new land."

Boise studied him with contracted brows.

"That's a good guess," he admitted. "You seem to know a lot about that
country."

"I own some land out there," grinned Johnny. "Your best route will be
from Marble Bluffs to Sage City, and from there straight across to Salt
Pool, then up along the Buffalo Canon to Silver Ledge and on to the
main line."

"That's one of the three routes I've been worrying over," agreed Boise,
admiring Johnny's frankness. "I promised to wire my chief engineer
to-morrow which one to put through."

Constance noticed a slight squaring of Johnny's lower lip, and she felt
leaping within her a sudden intense interest in S. W. & P. and B. F. &
N. W.

"What are the others?" asked Johnny.

Mr. Boise promptly drew a canvas-backed map from his pocket. Mr.
Courtney reached for a folding deck chair. Constance helped Mr. Boise
spread out the map. Johnny weighted down the corners with a cigar-case,
a watch, a pocket-knife and a silver dollar.

"The favorite route at present," pointed out Boise, "is from Marble
Bluffs round by Lariat Center, across to Buffalo Canyon and up to
Silver Ledge. The other one is right through Eagle Pass."

"That one won't do at all," declared Johnny earnestly.

"It's the shortest," insisted Boise.

"You'd have to tunnel through solid granite," objected Johnny, "and the
only traffic you would pick up would be from two or three dead mining
towns. In the Sage City and Salt Pool route you would open up a big,
rich, farming territory."

"That route is the one I have practically discarded," said Boise.
"Right through here," and he put a broad forefinger on the map, "is a
large stretch of worthless arid land."

"Yes, I know," admitted Johnny, hitching closer, "but right here"--and
he pointed to another place--"is Blue Lake, and with very simple
engineering work, which has been begun, it could be brought down to
turn that whole district into land rich enough to load your cars with
wheat, corn and cattle. Just now that water wastes itself through
Buffalo Canyon and doesn't do a pound of work until it hits the big
river."

Mr. Boise studied the map reflectively. Mr. Courtney studied it
interestedly.