It was by accident that he had been hired by Mr. Larabee's agents to make the survey, and the rest followed by a "trick of fate," as he described it.
"I needed the money they promised to give me," he said, "or perhaps I should not have gone into the matter at all. I am intending to set up in business for myself, and the amount the lawyer named was very acceptable. I never stopped to think that I might be doing some one an injustice. The fact of the matter is, that I thought the trickery was on Wardell's side."
"I hope you are convinced now that it was not," said Dick.
"I am, perfectly. I think your Uncle Ezra, not to put too fine a point upon it, as the celebrated Mr. Snagsby would say—I think your Uncle Ezra rather put one over on me."
"I believe he did," said Dick, "and I'm glad I can be the means of correcting the wrong."
"And what will Uncle Ezra say when he finds it out?" asked Paul, with a chuckle.
"I'm afraid," answered the young millionaire, "that he'll have a fit; won't he, Grit?"
The animal growled, as he nearly always did at the mention of Mr. Larabee's name. Grit and Mr. Cameron, however, had made friends at once.
They drove on for a few miles farther, stopping now and then to listen for sounds of an auto coming after them, but they heard nothing. Then, as the way was getting rough, Dick decided to light the lamps, since it was hardly possible now for the two men to see them over the desert.
A short halt was made for this purpose, and then they got under way again. There was the coming of a pale light in the east, and Dick, looking toward it, said: