noon
Domination of the native mind by Menocal appeared too strong for him to break . But to his surprise next morning the Mexican came driving his team into the camp . Lee sent him to Pat Carrigan , who gave him a scraper and set him to work on the ditch . Toward noon the engineer encountered him moving dirt from the deepening excavation ; the sight had an amusing feature . The man , Pedro Saurez , laboured in his own field building the canal at about the spot where he had warned Bryant away when surveying . When Saurez beheld Lee , he grinned and removed the cigarette from his lips . `` It will be a fine ditch , this , '' was his remark .