The thoughtful Manager of The King's Basin Land and Irrigation Company was evidently worried. Holmes made no reply.
With his eyes still on the letter in his hand Burk asked: "How are you getting on with the survey of the South Central District?"
"Black finished yesterday. I brought in the data."
"What do you think of it?"
"It's no good, Burk. The land is a rough jumble of small hummocks, covered with a heavy growth of greasewood and mesquite, and practically all of it lies so high that we could never get the water on it at all."
Burk considered. "Do you know whether Abe Lee ever went over that district?"
Holmes stiffened. "No, he never worked in that part of the Basin at all, but what the deuce has Lee to do with it? Black is a graduate engineer and as good a man as ever looked over a transit. If you can't trust the men I send out, why"—
"Wow, wow!" cried Burk, "keep your shirt on, old man! I'm not making insinuations against your pet surveyor. I merely asked for information. Now if you please, turn your South Central data over to your office force and tell them to get it in shape by Saturday without fail. It's an order, my son. Selah!"