Old Bill Conway turned upon John Parker a smoldering gaze.

“So I’m building a dam to irrigate a lot of Jap truck-gardens, am I?” he rumbled.

The sly, ingenious manner in which Miguel Farrel had so innocently contrived to strew his already rough path with greater obstacles, infuriated Parker, and for an instant he lost control of himself.

“What do you care what it’s for, Conway, provided 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 hard hand to beat;