"I merely told him what is so," Angus said.
"You brought up the water question yourself."
"Land is no good without water. You know that as well as I do."
"I don't admit that water can't be got on this land. Now, see here, I'm going to have a surveyor run the line of a ditch, and I want you to tell Chetwood you were mistaken in your levels. Understand?"
"If you can show me I'm mistaken, I'll be glad to tell him. But I'm certain of them. I've checked them up since."
"Dammit!" Mr. Braden exploded angrily, "do you know I hold a mortgage on your ranch? Do you know I hold your note? Hey?"
Angus stared at him for a moment, his black brows drawing down, his eyes narrowing. "And what has that got to do with the levels of this land?" he asked with disconcerting directness.
But Mr. Braden shirked the show-down.
"Do with it, do with it!" he sputtered. "Oh, not a thing, not a damned thing, of course. You were my agent to conclude this sale, and you threw me down."
"I wasn't your agent. I was acting for Chetwood."