He was too overcome to speak.

"By golly, Lee, I--I----" he stammered; and stopped, and furtively wiped the moisture from his eyes.

Finally they visited a savings-bank, where the engineer deposited a check to Dave's credit, his wages for a month and a half, forty-five dollars, to start an account, and the boy received a small yellow book whose one entry he thereafter studied at frequent intervals, for it was earning according to Bryant's statement four per cent a year, though Dave had not the remotest idea of how it did the earning.

Then with all this business transacted they returned to the hotel, bathed, dressed in their fresh clothes, and went into luncheon.
"Luncheon, what do they call dinner that for ?" Dave whispered to Lee across the table.
Along in the afternoon Bryant, having obtained a set of blue-prints and sent his young companion to a "movie" show, called upon the man that he all the while had had in view, Imogene Martin's uncle.

A large, strong-bodied man, with a deeply lined, determined face, the latter swept his visitor with a quick, appraising look, invited him to take a seat, and to state his business.
"In five minutes you can tell," said Lee, "whether or not you wish to listen longer to my proposition." "Yes." "I now own the Perro Creek ranch, of five thousand acres.