ided you make your profit
out of the contract?" he demanded brusquely.

"Ladies," the contractor replied, turning to Mrs. Parker and Kay, "I
trust you will pardon me for discussing business in your presence just
for a minute. Miguel, am I to understand that this ranch is still
Farrel property?"

"You bet! And for a year to come."

"Then I gather that Mr. Parker has contracted with me to build a dam on
your land and without your approval. Am I right?"

"You are, Mr. Conway. I am not even contemplating giving my approval
to the removal of another scraper of dirt from that excavation."

Conway faced Parker.

"Am I to continue operations?" he demanded. "I have a
cost-plus-fifteen-per-cent. contract with you, Mr. Parker, and if you
are not going to be in position to go through with it, I want to know
it now."

"In the absence of Mr. Farrel's permission, I have no alternative save
to ask you to suspend operations, Mr. Conway," Parker answered
bitterly. "I expect, of course, to settle with you for the abrupt
cancellation of the contract, but I believe we are both reasonable men
and that no difficulty will arise in that direction."

"I'm naturally disappointed, Mr. Parker. I have a good crew and I like
to keep the men busy--particularly when good men are as hard to
procure as they are nowadays. However, I realize your predicament, and
I never was a great hand to hit a man when he was down."

"Thank you, Mr. Conway. If you will drop in at the ranch-house
to-morrow for dinner, we can put you up for the night, I dare say." He
glanced at Farrel, who nodded. "We can then take up the matter of
compensation for the cancelled contract."

"In the meantime, then, I might as well call the job off and stop the
expense," Conway suggested. "We'll load up the equipment and pull out
in the morning."

"Why be so precipitate, Mr. Conway?" Don Mike objected, almost
fiercely. "You always were the most easy-going, tender-hearted old
scout imaginable, and that's why you've never been able to afford a new
automobile. Now, I have a proposition to submit to you, Mr. Conway,
and inasmuch as it conflicts radically with Mr. Parker's interests, I
feel that common courtesy to him indicates that I should voice that
proposition in his presence. With the greatest good will in life
toward each other, nevertheless we are implacable opponents. Mr.
Parker has graciously spread, face up on the table for my inspection,
an extremely har