"I know it, Miguel."

"All a power company requires is the assurance that the dam you are
building will impound in the Agua Caliente Basin during an ordinarily
wet winter, sufficient run-off water to insure them against a shortage
during the summer. After the water has passed over their wheels
they're through with it and it can be used for irrigation, can it not?"

"Yes, of course, although you'd have to have a greater volume of water
than the amount coming through the power company's pen-stocks. But
that's easily arranged. Two ditches, Miguel!"

"If the engineer of the Central California Power Company had not
examined the possibilities here and approved of them, it is reasonable
to suppose that he would not have drawn the plans and Parker would not
have engaged you to build the dam."

"You're on the target, son. Go on."

"Then Parker must have entered into an agreement to sell, and the
Central California Power Company must have agreed to buy, if and when
Parker could secure legal title to the Rancho Palomar, a certain number
of miner's inches of water daily, in perpetuity, together with certain
lands for a power station and a perpetual right of way for their power
lines over the lands of this ranch."

"Well, son, that's what I would have done in a similar situation.
Nothing to be made by letting that hydro-electric opportunity lie
fallow. No profit in wasting kilowatts, Miguel. We haven't got a