Part 7 (1/2)

”Didn't--eh?” snapped Carter, at high tension. ”Then I'd like to know what would show it!”

”So would I,” said Dunne. ”Anyway, what the judge said went. The long and short of it is that we can't go to law till they actually take our water. Wade advises us to sell out if we can get a fair price. And that's all I have to report, gentlemen.”

”A fair price!” exclaimed Carter. ”That's all right to talk about--but who'll give us one? The railway won't buy--it's cheaper to freeze us out. n.o.body else will. And, if it comes to that, what is a fair price?

Land is boosting everywhere. If we sold now we'd just be robbing ourselves.”

”S'pose they starts to rustle our water and we go to law,” said old James, ”does this here lawsuit tangle up things so's't we get plenty of water till the case is tried?”

”I'm afraid not,” Casey replied. ”That's the worst of it. Wade seemed to think that once they got the water they could keep it until the case was settled by the last court of appeal. And that would put us out of business.”

”It's sure a mean jack pot,” said James. ”It looks like they have it on us every way. The prospects for our emergin' winners ain't cheerin'

none, but, gents, speakin' for myself alone, I wouldn't sell at no price. I'm aimin' to live where I be till you-alls beds me down for keeps. I reckon I'll stay with the game while I got a chaw and a ca'tridge left. I may be froze out, but dog-gone my ol' hide if I'll be bluffed out. This here ain't none different from claim jumpin'. I own my water, and I'm goin' to keep on havin' it. And the man that shets it off will be mighty apt to see how they irrigate them green fields 'way over yander 'cross the River Jordan.”

His words were like fire in dry straw.

”That's right, Uncle Ike!” cried Carter.

”By George I'm with you myself!” cried Wyndham.

”_Moi aussi!_” exclaimed Brule. ”By d.a.m.n, yes!”

”Yes, let 'em try it!” cried young Alec McCrae, his eyes gleaming like those of a fierce young hawk that sights its first quarry. ”Let 'em try it!” he repeated ominously, nodding to himself.

But on the excitement of the others Donald McCrae's words fell like an icy douche: ”Men, this is plain foolishness. Alec, let me hear no more of it from you. James, you should know better. We can't enforce claim law here. The old days are gone.”

”I ain't gone yet, nor you ain't,” old James replied, his eyes gleaming balefully through slitted lids. ”I give it out now that I don't set quiet and see my ditches go dry. Long's the law won't help us--and the law never gave no action in the West nohow--I'm goin' to help myself. I ain't raisin' the long yell for partners, neither!”

”You can't bring back the old days,” McCrae repeated. ”I stand to lose as much as any man here, but shooting one or two men who are doing what they are paid to do won't help us. You all know that.”

”That's so,” Casey admitted. ”That's the last thing we can afford to do.”

”Well, maybe you boys are right,” said the old man reluctantly. ”Maybe I ain't up to date. But what you goin' to do? You got to do somethin'.”

”Yes,” said Wyndham. ”They are getting ahead with their work. It won't be long till that dam is finished. Then they'll take the water from us, that's certain.”

But here Big Oscar received an inspiration. He had been listening carefully, casting mildly inquiring blue eyes on the speakers. He was a good listener, was Oscar, and he seldom spoke. His mental engine, so far as could be judged by its verbal expression, turned over stiffly.

Apparently it had never been run enough to be smoothed down--at least in English. But his contribution to the debate at this juncture was noteworthy. Said he:

”Say, Ay tenk Ay blow dat dam, easy!”

They stared at him for a moment, while the suggestion took root. It was obvious that if the dam were destroyed the water would remain theirs until it was rebuilt. True, its destruction would be a lawless act, amounting to a declaration of war; but war on them had already been declared. They would be merely striking the first blow, and here was the logical spot to strike.

”Good boy, Oscar,” said Carter. ”I believe that's the answer.”

”What do you think, McCrae?” asked Wyndham.

”I'm against violence in any form,” said McCrae slowly. ”But they are forcing it on us. They want to steal our ranches. It amounts to that.