“Here’s where the engineers of the Reclamation Service ran their lines,” Merrick said, following with the point of a pencil a crooked course from Sweetwater Dam to the upper mouth of Elk Creek Cañon. “They made a mistake, probably because they were short of time. It was clear that the water from the dam had to get down to the Flat Tops by way of Elk Creek if at all. As soon as they learned that the upper entrance to the cañon is higher than the site of the dam by eighty feet they admitted the project would not do. All the reports are based on that. Water won’t flow uphill. Therefore no feasible connecting canal could be built.” Hollister walked round and took the chair at the other side of the table. “Irrefutable logic,” he said. “Absolutely. But I wasn’t sure of the facts upon which it was based.” “You mean you weren’t sure the canal had to run to the upper mouth of the cañon.” The chief of construction looked at his assistant quickly. This young fellow had more than once surprised Merrick by the clearness of his deductions. “Exactly that. So I proceeded to find out for myself.” “And you learned that you could carry it over the hills and down the draw where Prowers stampeded the cattle.” “How do you know that?” demanded Merrick. “More irrefutable logic.” Hollister tilted back his chair and smiled. “There’s only one break in the walls of the cañon in the whole five miles. That’s at the draw near the lower mouth. Since the ditch must get into the foothills from the gorge and can’t reach them any other way, and since it can’t enter the cañon at the upper end on account of the law of gravity, I’m driven to the alternative--and that’s the draw.” “You use your brains,” admitted the older man dryly. “Of course, you’re right. We’re going down the draw.” “Then the survey you had me make of the upper part of the cañon was camouflage.” “Yes.” A smile of grim amusement broke the lines of his firm mouth. “Black’s homestead claim doesn’t reach as far down as the draw. Prowers thought it would be enough to close the upper mouth of the gorge to us. So we don’t touch his land at all--don’t come within miles of it in point of fact. To make sure Prowers won’t jump in later, I’ve had a dummy file on the draw.” Hollister looked at his chief with admiration. The man had all the qualities that make for success--technical skill, audacity, confidence in himself, steadiness, force, restrained imagination, and a certain capacity for indomitable perseverance. He would go a long way, in spite of the fact that he was not quite the ideal leader, or perhaps because of the lack of the fire that inspires subordinates. For he was not one to let a generous enthusiasm sweep him from the moorings of common sense. “You’ve made the canal survey to the draw?” the younger man asked. “Yes. A hogback below Jake’s Fork bars the way.” “You’re going round it?” “Can’t. Through it. You’re to begin running the tunnel to-morrow.”