experienced a turn of disappointment--but that the individual should
be this tricky, coddled, egotistical Charlie Menocal! Well, he should
align the girls' irrigating ditch and then go about his business.

"I've been delayed in coming to correct your water flow," he remarked,
when the fair homesteaders had given him greeting, "but I'm on hand at
last."

Ruth Gardner, looking prettier and fuller of spirits than ever,
assured him the ditch was behaving no better than before. Her next
words, however, left him with an impression that he and not Charlie
Menocal was the intruder, which hardened his annoyance into a desire
to have done with the matter.

"I wish you had come some other day, for we're just about to depart,"
she exclaimed. "Mr. Menocal is very kindly taking Imo and me in his
car to see the old ruins of a pueblo somewhere over west. We'll be
gone probably all the rest of the afternoon, and there'll be no one to
show you the ditch and what's wrong with it."

"Oh, I'll find out what's wrong and straighten out the trouble," the
engineer replied. "You've a spade or shovel, I suppose? Go right ahead
with your exploring expedition and don't worry about me; the ditch
will be working properly when you return."

"Well, if you don't really need us----"

"Not in the least," was his assurance.

She still hesitated, while her look travelled from Bryant to Menocal