o you like my new name for Dry Mesa? Mr.
Knowles puts in the reservoir site in exchange for water on his other
land, a tenth share in the company, and a royalty of half the gold we
placer out of the reservoir bed. As Jenny is to put up all the
capital, she and I will take the lion's share. That will leave a tenth
for you and a tenth for Belle."

Ashton sought to draw his hand away. "It is very good of you, Mr.
Blake. But I cannot accept--"

"Yes, you can. You can't help yourself. Besides, I've an idea a man
always does better by his work when he has a stake in the undertaking.
You're to be our Resident Engineer, you know."

"Resident Engineer?" repeated Ashton, paling and flushing. "Mr. Blake,
I--I--It's impossible that you can mean--"

"Make it 'Tom'! You'll have to brush up on mining engineering, too.
There's the bonanza."

"Oh, yes, Tom!" exclaimed Genevieve. "Tell him about the gold mine."

"I was going to keep still about it till I had the apex located," he
said. He looked full at Ashton. "But there's no one here that the
secret will not be as safe with as it is with me. Besides, it's all in
the family. I found the vein a thousand feet up the chute of Dry Fork
Gulch. We will name it the Genevieve Lode. There are six of us here,
counting Tommy. Each of us gets a sixth interest."

Ashton was now pale. "Mr. Blake--Tom, I cannot! If I were fit to stay
and work for you--as an axman--anything!--"

Blake's eyes twinkled. "Then your sixth will have to go to Belle."

"Mine too, Tom," hastily put in Knowles.

Blake looked down solemnly at his youthful heir. "Hear that, Tommy?
Guess we'll have to pull out, too, and make it half and half to the
ladies." He looked up at Ashton with a swift change from mock to real
gravity. "We've got to begin by installing a turbine power-plant down
here. Where will I find another engineer with nerve enough to go down
these cliffs? I need you, Lafe."

"I am very sorry, Tom." Ashton drew his hand from Blake's wearied
clasp, and rose.

Isobel slipped past him and stood with her arms outstretched across
the entrance of the tent. There was a dimple in each of her blushing
cheeks; her eyes were radiant with tenderness and love.

"No, you can't get away!" she declared. "Don't you see how we've got
you corralled?"

"That's what," confirmed Knowles. "I promised her to rope and hogtie
you if you made a break."

Ashton was gazing into the girl's eyes, his own shining with reverent
ado