owed
up!"

The smile left the other's face. His eyes glowed and the corners of
his mouth took on a cruel droop.

"He has, eh?" he said, slowly. His voice was expressionless. "So that
lead has petered out."

He puffed slowly at his cigar, studying Dale's face, while the latter
related what had occurred.

"So Nyland is still at large, eh?" he remarked, when Dale had finished.
"Why not set a gunman on him?"

Dale scowled. "There ain't a gunman in this section that would take a
chance on Nyland--he's lightning!" Dale cursed. "Besides, there ain't
no use in goin' after Nyland's place unless we can get the Double A."

"Then there wasn't any use of going after it yesterday, or today, as
you did," said the other. "Unless," he added, looking intently at
Dale, "the sister has been on your mind some."

Dale reddened.

"I don't mind admittin' she is," he grinned.

"Look out, Dale," warned the other; "there's danger there. Many a big
project has been ruined by men dragging a woman into it. You have no
right to jeopardize this thing with a love affair. Peggy Nyland is
desirable to a man of your intense passion, I suppose; but this project
is bigger than any woman's love!"

"Bah!" sneered Dale. "I can 'tend to her without losin' sight of the
main object."

"All right, then," laughed the other. "The success of this thing
depends largely on you. We can't do a thing with the Legislature;
these sagebrush fools are adamant on the question of water-rights, They
won't restrict an owner's right and title to possession of all the
water on his land.

"And he can dam the stream as much as he pleases, providing he don't
cut down the supply that normally flows to his neighbors; and the gorge
doesn't supply any water to the basin, so that Bransford would be
justified in directing the gorge stream.

"In other words, old Bransford's title to the land that the gorge runs
through is unassailable. There is only one way to get at him, and that
is in some way to get possession of the title."

"That's tied up tighter than blazes," said Dale. "Record and all are
clear. An' there ain't no judge we can get at. But if young Bransford
hadn't come----"

"Yes," smiled Silverthorn. "It's too bad. We had a man, ready to come
on at the word, to impersonate young Bransford. He would have stayed
here long enough to get a clear title to the Double A, and then he
would have turned it over to us for a consideration. It rather loo