ms to be a serious matter."

"How did he happen to write you about it?" asked Wade. "Do you
correspond? I beg your pardon. It's none of my business, but Casey
isn't given to telling his troubles."

"I think," said Clyde, "I had better tell you how I first met Mr.
Dunne." She did so, considerably to Wade's surprise.

"That's just like Casey all through," he commented. "Close as a clam.
Never told me about meeting you before. And so he lent you ten dollars!
You!" He chuckled at the idea. "Well, later he may have a use for that
same ten."

"You really mean that? If money would help him now----"

"It isn't necessary just yet. I'll tell you how matters stand." He did
so with brevity and lucidity. "The situation now is that the government
leaves the right to water to be determined by the courts. The court
won't sit till some time in September. So there you are. Meanwhile the
company is trying to take the water and the ranchers are trying to
prevent them. So far nobody has been hurt, but I'm afraid, with the
bitterness which is sure to develop, there may be serious trouble at
any time."

"Mr. Dunne and his friends have not funds for a long legal fight?"

"No. Casey himself is land poor--that is, he has put every dollar he
could rake together into land. He will either go broke or make a
killing. The others have good ranches, but no money. And they can't
raise any on their land, for nobody would lend under these conditions.
Their very existence is involved."

"I have plenty of money," said Clyde. "More than I know what to do
with; more than I can ever spend, living as I do. I will give you a
check now for whatever sum you require to take this case to the very
highest court."

"That's a very generous offer," said Wade, "but I can't accept it. It's
not merely a case of lack of the sinews of war. It's a case of a huge
corporation against a few individuals with as little influence as they
have money. You might put up law costs to an enormous extent uselessly.
You see, you would be bucking Western Airline. Your respected uncle
might do that, but you can't."

Clyde's smooth forehead wrinkled thoughtfully. But she merely said: "If
I can do anything--with money or in any other way--for Mr. Dunne and
his friends, I'm ready to do it."

"I don't know what you can do just now," said Wade. "I'm going on a
vacation for a few weeks. Most of it I intend to spend out in that part
of the country. When I return I'll know more about i