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By another douar, this time on the outskirts of the R'hamna country, we paused for a mid-day rest, and entered the village in search of milk and eggs. All the men save one were at work on the land, and he, the guardian of the village, an old fellow and feeble, stood on a sandy mound within the zariba.
To all who did not know the value of the central position in war and the power of modern weapons, the attack seemed to promise complete success. The invaders were 1300 miles away from Cairo and defeat would mean destruction. Religious zeal lent strength to the onset. From the converging crescent of the Mahdists a sound as of a dim murmur was wafted to the zariba.
The main track, not to be dignified by the name of road, is always to be discerned clearly enough, at least the Maalem is never in doubt when stray paths, leading from nowhere to the back of beyond, intersect it. At long intervals we pass a n'zala, a square empty space surrounded by a zariba of thorn and prickly pear. The village, a few wattled huts with conical roofs, stands by its side.
But the violent movement discharged the tension of his black humor. "Lord! what a grouch I am!" he mumbled. "Guess I'm in for a go at the same old thing." Griffith and Lord James exchanged a quick glance, and the former hastened to reply: "Don't you believe it, Tommy. Don't talk about my guessing. You're steady as a rock, and you're going to keep steady. You're on the Zariba Dam now, understand?"
"Too busy over this Arizona dam," said Griffith, jerking his pipe towards the drawings on his desk. "What dam?" demanded Blake, bending forward, keenly alert. "Zariba big Arizona irrigation project. Simple as A, B, C, except the dam itself. That has stumped half a dozen of the best men. Promoters are giving me a try at it now. But I'm beginning to think I've bitten off more 'n I can chew."
I'm here now for you to enter my acceptance of the standing offer of the Assistant Engineership." "You you agree to take it under me?" cried Ashton in astonishment. "Why not?" asked Blake with well-feigned surprise. "Why, of course if You see, it's it's rather unexpected," Ashton sought to explain as he regained assurance. "Old Griffith wrote me about the way you had put through the Zariba Dam.
"I want your promise you'll do nothing or say nothing to him till after you've made good on the Zariba Dam," went on Griffith. "You don't want your blast to go off before you've tamped the hole." Blake's scowl deepened, and he clenched his fist in its thick fur glove. But after a long moment he answered morosely, "Guess you're right. He holds the cards on me now and has the drop.
"Looks like they're going to raise the roof, doesn't it?" he said. "Feel that way myself. Your father unloaded the Zariba project onto the Coville Construction Company, and they've offered a cool fifty thousand dollars to the man that figures out a feasible way to construct the dam. I spoke about it before, you may remember; but this bonus wasn't up then.
"You did?" she cried, her eyes brilliant with excitement. "Oh, tell me! I " She faltered under his surprised stare, and went on rather lamely: "You see, I we have been immensely interested in the Zariba Dam. The reports all describe it as an extraordinary work of engineering. And so we have been curious to learn something about the engineer."
I offer fifty thousand dollars as reward to the man who solves the problem of the Zariba Dam." "Say, that's going some!" commented Griffith. "Plain business proposition. If I can't get it done for wages, it is cheaper to pay a bonus than to have the project fail." "Good way to put it," admitted Griffith. "Don't just know, though, what I'll do with all that money." "You?
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