"You're certainly not going into this thing on your own account, are you?
Who is putting up the money?
Eastern people ?" Bryant smiled, but made no answer.

His smile and his silence provoked an angry gleam from the banker's eyes.
"Well, it doesn't matter," Menocal continued.

"But you're going to discover that you haven't this water right, after all." "What makes you think so ?" "Because it was never used, because no real canal was ever built, only a little ditch that doesn't exist now.

The right will be cancelled, and the water will be reappropriated for lands along the river." "For farms on which you're now using it, you mean ?" "I'm not saying where." Bryant leaned forward and tapped the banker's desk with a finger-tip.
"Mr.Menocal, don't try to start any trouble with me," he said, with jaw a little outthrust.
"_Dios!_ You dare talk that way to me ?" "I repeat it, don't attempt to keep something that doesn't belong to you.

You may want to--but don't try it.