eize the
opportunity to harass Thurston.

"It's not half good enough for me," he said. "How'm I going to make
sure you won't play the same trick again, while it's tolerably certain
you can't keep on paying up for damage done forever. Then when you're
cleaned out where'll I be? This scheme which you'll never put
through's a menace to the whole valley, and----"

"You'll be rich, I hope, by that time, but if you'll confine yourself
to your legitimate grievance or come along to my tent I'll talk to
you," said Geoffrey. "If, on the other hand, you cast doubt upon my
financial position or predict my failure before my men, I'll take
decided measures to stop you. You have my word that you will be repaid
every cent's worth of damage done, and that should be enough for any
reasonable person."

"It's not--not enough for me by a long way," shouted the rancher.
"I'll demand a Government inspection, I'll--I'll break you."

"Will you show Mr. Hudson the quickest and safest way off this
embankment, Tom," requested Geoffrey, coolly, and there was laughter
mingled with growls of approval from the men, as the irate rancher,
hurling threats over his shoulder, was solemnly escorted along the dyke
by the stalwart foreman. He turned before descending, and shook his
fist at those who watched him.

"I think you can close the sluices," said Geoffrey, when the foreman
returned. "Then set all hands filling in this hole. I want you,
Gillow."

"We are going to have trouble," he predicted, when English Jim stood
before him in his tent. "Hudson unfortunately is either connected with
our enemies, or in their clutches, and he'll try to persuade his
neighbors to join him in an appeal to the authorities. Send a
messenger off at once with this telegram to Vancouver, but stay--first
find me the drawing of the defective gate."

English Jim spent several minutes searching before he answered: "I'm
sorry I can't quite lay my hands upon it. It may be in Vancouver, and
I'll write a note to the folks down there."

He did so, and when he went out shook his head ruefully. "That
confounded sketch must have been the one I lost on board the steamer,"
he decided with a qualm of misgiving. "However, there is no use
meeting trouble half-way by telling Thurston so, until I'm sure beyond
a doubt."

Some time had passed, and the greater portion of Hudson's ranch still
lay under water when, in consequence of representations made by its
owner and some