money and time. The artesian possibilities had never been tried. That possibility should first be proved or disproved.
Boyd shared none of these conclusions and speculations with his son. He did not even confide to the young man that in his opinion the experiment at the Bungalow had succeeded. Why, he could not have said; except this was opening out as a big thing, and his strong instinct in big things was to work close mouthed until the plan was fully formed. Therefore Kenneth was still in ignorance that his father was convinced. Boyd moved slowly and cautiously in order not to arouse any suspicions. The chance was too good to share with anybody. He had worked it out for himself, and he intended that he—and his son—should reap all the benefit. To accomplish that he would have to get hold of the land before anybody conceived the idea that it was good for anything but a cattle range. This part of it, he concluded, would not be too difficult. The country was sound asleep, and—so Boyd was convinced—would not awaken to its possibilities without considerable yawning and stretching. There was all leisure to move safely and slowly. Through his talks with Kenneth, and by virtue of his position in the bank, he was thoroughly familiar with the situation. Corona del Monte was lately managing to get along: but it skirted the ragged edge. Unless methods were to change fundamentally, these small economies and retrenchments would suffice only in calm weather. Come a time of stress, or another bad year, and the craft would founder—or could be made to founder. Boyd knew that a man like Colonel Peyton would never change methods fundamentally. It was, in his opinion, merely a question of awaiting the right moment.
For it had reached this point in Boyd's mind. The vision of the possible millions to come to the men who inaugurated the new era had aroused the wolf in him that had been sleeping since its full meal in Traction.
The immediate question, however, was whether artesian water existed below the ranch; or whether irrigation would have to come from the Sur. In the former case there was no hurry about doing anything. In the latter, however, it would be necessary quietly to acquire the necessary rights and rights-of-way before
