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that they own.”
    â€œThat’s sixteen hundred dollars!” Phoebe said out loud. “I can’t possibly come up with that much money!”
    â€œYou wouldn’t have to come up with the entire amount, Mrs. Sloan. You’d only have to come up with one hundred and sixty dollars, because the assessment would be payable at one dollar per acre per year. And, because this’ll also benefit the townspeople, they, too, must be a part of it. All owners of city or town lots within the region to be irrigated should be asked to pay five percent of the value of their lots, which would also be payable over a ten-year period. This would give your company a sum of 275,000 dollars raised from the assessment on the land, and possibly as much as 100,000 dollars more that’d be raised from the town lots. This would mean an immediate infusion of 375,000 dollars within the first year. In addition, you’d agree to pay the company ten cents per acre-inch for the water actually received and consumed, and this could be paid at the end of each month. I know these are rough figures, but this amount of money would enable your company to leverage a bond for twenty years at five percent interest. I believe if you took this kind of proposal to an investor, you’d be able to raise the five million dollars immediately, and under this structure, you should be able to pay off your bond in twenty years.”
    When Christian finished speaking, the room was quiet.
    â€œWhat do you think, gentlemen, and ladies?” Prinsen asked.
    â€œYhomas, if your friend can come up with that idea off the top of his head, what do you think he can do if he really thinks about it?” Captain Hancock asked. “I propose that our reservoir committee hire this gentleman as our financial adviser.”
    â€œI second the proposal,” Fowler said.
    â€œWait a minute,” Prinsen said. “It’s well and good to make the offer, but first don’t you think we should ask Christian if he’s agreeable to such an arrangement?”
    â€œI appreciate the offer. But I have a responsibility to July.”
    â€œJuly? Why, that’s months away,” Captain Hancock said.
    Prinsen chuckled. “Christian, suppose I hire July to work for me? Would you be disposed to accept our offer then?”
    â€œI’ll have to discuss it with him. I believe he’s anxious to get home, but as for myself, I wouldn’t be opposed to staying.”
    â€œYou won’t be sorry, Mr. De Wet. If you bring this through for us, I can promise you, there will be a mighty big paycheck waiting for you,” Captain Hancock said.

3

    M r. Prinsen and Christian stood at the door as everyone was leaving. Most were enthusiastic about the prospect of actually getting something started, and they continued to thank Christian for his suggestion.
    â€œIt looks like you made quite an impression, my boy,” Prinsen said as he slapped Christian on the back. “Besides, if you went back home, you’d have to take sides. Would you fight with the Boers and please Marie, or with the Brits to please Cecil?”
    â€œI really don’t know. Maybe this is a godsend. It’ll give me a legitimate reason to stay here.”
    â€œYes, and if you can put this together, you’ll not only make a fair bit of change, you’ll also be doing the valley a real service.”
    â€œI get the impression you really like it here. But what about the ostriches? This is a long way from the Little Karoo.”
    Prinsen smiled. “That’s where your efforts come in. If you can figure this out and we can have a dependable water supply, I can grow more lucerne, and the ostriches won’t know if they’re in Arizona or South Africa.”
    â€œI suppose that’s true. What difference does it make if you call their food alfalfa or lucerne? It’s all the same to the birds.”
    â€œI actually think the Salt River Valley