She assured the engineer, when he inquired, that he was not detaining her from household affairs; and urged him, on learning of his prospective absence, to leave Dick at Diamond Creek and he himself to proceed to Kennard by stage.

She owed Dick a return for the favour of carrying her home that day her own horse went lame; he could run in the pasture with the other horses, where Bryant would know he was safe.

The plan included Bryant's remaining for dinner, naturally.
"Have I your permission, Dave ?" Lee asked.

"Or do you refuse to share this pleasure with me ?" Dave looked at Louise and blushed furiously.
"I guess you've made your mind up," he said, to Bryant.
"I guess I have," Lee admitted.
Toward noon Mr.Graham joined them and laughingly stated that he was glad to make the acquaintance of the man who was causing such a furor among the Mexicans along the Pinas.

He asked a number of questions and listened with interest to the engineer's brief exposition of the plan to unite the water rights of the Pinas River and of Perro Creek in a common system, though Bryant disclosed nothing of his survey on the mesa.