"Go ahead, I'm with you," said Dave.
They changed their course slightly. The whole day, or, rather, the best part of it was ahead of them, for they had made an early start. Dave had not much to do at the ranch since the big cattle shipment, though Mr. Carson was getting ready to increase his stock as soon as the question of providing water for them was settled.
"Looks as if something was going on," commented Mr. Bellmore, as they approached the place where the Molick dam had been rebuilt.
"Yes, there's a crowd there, anyhow," agreed Dave. "And some of them are on our land, too!" he exclaimed, excitedly.
"Now take it easy," advised his friend. "This matter must take a legal course, since we have started it that way. Keep cool."
"Oh, I will," the young cowboy promised, as he spurred on, followed by the engineer.
They found Molick and several of his men making a sort of supplementary dam, the water having backed up more than they had calculated on, so that some of it was now flowing in the old bed of the stream over Mr. Carson's property. It was to prevent this that another dam was being made.
"He wants to get every drop!" said Dave, bitterly.
"Yes," assented the engineer. "He isn't satisfied with a fair share."
Some of the workmen who knew Dave seemed a bit embarrassed as he caught them on the Carson land, for it was necessary for them to go there to complete the dam. The young cowboy, however, said nothing, preferring to leave it to Mr. Bellmore. The latter looked significantly at Molick, and remarked: