to place it on the grave of the lad's mother. After that they
proceeded to a clothier's, where the boy was fitted out with a new
suit, a hat, shirts, underwear, and a tie. All of this caused Dave to
swallow hard--but he swallowed hardest of all when Lee led him to a
horse dealer's and helped him pick out a pony for trial, a gift from
Bryant. He hadn't expected all this. He was too overcome to speak. "By
golly, Lee, I--I----" he stammered; and stopped, and furtively wiped
the moisture from his eyes. Finally they visited a savings-bank, where
the engineer deposited a check to Dave's credit, his wages for a month
and a half, forty-five dollars, to start an account, and the boy
received a small yellow book whose one entry he thereafter studied at
frequent intervals, for it was earning according to Bryant's statement
four per cent a year, though Dave had not the remotest idea of how it
did the earning. Then with all this business transacted they returned
to the hotel, bathed, dressed in their fresh clothes, and went into
luncheon.

"Luncheon, what do they call dinner that for?" Dave whispered to Lee
across the table.

Along in the afternoon Bryant, having obtained a set of blue-prints
and sent his young companion to a "movie" show, called upon the man
that he all the while had had in view, Imogene Martin's uncle. A
large, strong-bodied man, with a deeply lined, determined face, the
latter swept his visitor with a quick, appraising look, invited him to
take a seat, and to state his business.

"In five minutes you can tell," said Lee, "whether or not you wish to
listen longer to my proposition."

"Yes."

"I now own the Perro Creek ranch, of five thousand acres. It was
originally owned by Mr. Menocal, of Bartolo, but recently by a man
named Stevenson, from whom I bought it."

"I know the place, Mr. Bryant. Proceed."

"It's worth possibly three dollars an acre as it stands, or a total of
fifteen thousand dollars," Lee continued. "But it has an unused water
right of one hundred and twenty-five second feet from the Pinas River,
sufficient to water the whole tract. How much will the ranch be worth
when water is actually delivered?"

"A good deal more than fifteen thousand dollars."

"Rather," said the engineer, smiling. "The appropriation was secured
from the state by Mr. Menocal thirty years ago; it's never been
cancelled, and is good to-day. He, however, has been using the water
on ranches he owns down the river. A c