"Well, I'll do all I can for you and your father," went on the engineer. "I owe a great deal to you both. In fact I am convinced that I owe my life to you."
"Oh, pshaw!" deprecated Dave.
"Yes, that's a fact," went on Mr. Bellmore. "I might have lain caught there in that gully until I died, for it is a lonely place."
"Yes, that's true enough," agreed Dave.
"And so, in a small way, I'm going to do all I can to repay you," said the Chicago man. "I know something about water rights, irrigation and title deeds to streams, even if I'm not much on the cowpunching," he added with a smile, "and such knowledge as I have is at your service."
"Well, I'm sure we'll appreciate it—dad and I," said Dave. "Now let's try a little run. Crow is just spoiling for a good gallop, and the way from here home is as fine a track as you'd want."
Calling to his horse, Dave set him at a gallop, being followed by Mr. Bellmore on Kurd, and the two indulged in an impromptu race, reaching the ranch house at the same time.
"Hi there, Hop Loy!" called Dave. "Grub ready?"
"Alle same leady velly soon," said the amiable Chinese, with a cheerful grin, "How you like plan-cakes?"
"Plan-cakes strike me as about right; don't they you, Mr. Bellmore?"