Part 28 (1/2)

”Noill give you so supper for us,” said Elaot up and went to work ”We three boys are going to Texas”

”Going to Texas?” asked Uncle Ezra ”Noait till I tell you----”

”And another thing,” said Ela no attention to the interruption; ”we don't want to stay here until this thing is panned out; so can't you lend us a thousand dollars on that nugget?”

”I knohat you want,” replied Uncle Ezra ”You want me to lend you a thousand dollars apiece”

”Well, yes That's about the way the thing stands”

”Noait till I tell you You will go aith all thatyou knoill never see you again

So around your place?' and I will say 'Why, they went down to Texas to buy cattle, and those Texans found out that they had a lot of money about them and shot them' That's what I'll say Noait till I tell you You can't go!”

That was just about what I expected to hear from Uncle Ezra at the start, but I kneould turn out otherwise I knew if he had the et it, and so I kept still Toave him a wink and nod which told him that our circumstances were not as bad as they appeared to be, and that everything would coht in the end I didn't blao aith so much money in our pockets, but I did not see any other way out of it If anted to get our cattle for about half what they would cost us right there, Texas was the place for us to go The Indians were bad, and ould have to go right across the country inhabited by the Comanches, and they were about the worst cattle-thieves I ever heard of Those lawless al or ht there to punish the to be a matter of some difficulty to evade theh of it to want to go again I wished now that I had not had quite so ulators and Moderators who seeot supper ready after a while and we all sat down to it--all except Uncle Ezra, who sat on his caet He turned it first on one side and then on the other so that he could view it froum!” every time he looked at it, and told us many stories connected with it that we had never heard before To Elae of it he readily assented He would keep it out until all the sheep-herders had seen it, and then he would hide it so for it It was in the hands of the rightful owner at last, and no one need think he was going to handle it again

”But you have a long way to take it to Denver,” said I ”What will you do if somebody demands it of you!”

”Noait until I tell you,” said Uncle Ezra, while a look of determination came into his face ”Uncle Ezra has been there”

”Nohile you are talking about that nugget you are forgetting about o back to Mr Parsons' cabin, and ree to let hih in his hands to settle for him”

”That horse won't cost you a cent,” said I

”What makes you say that?”

”Because he was kept for the purpose of sending tender-feet into theelse for the he will have to set hio with you”

”Thank you What's the reason Elaot to stay here and watch the nugget!”

”By George! Have you got to watch it now that you have found it?”

”Yes, sir There are ten men employed on this ranch and four on mine, and you may be sure that all of them are not first-class”

”Well, let the his, and when he brought his arms back to show his biceps he fairly one you,” said Uncle Ezra, getting up and shaking a fist in Elao off and lose a thousand dollars of it and your life besides Noait until I tell you I'll sleep on it

I'll see how it looks in thethere was not a word said about it We ate breakfast by the firelight, and then Toht to the door and saddled, preparatory to our ride to Mr Parsons' ranch In a pair of saddle-bags which I carried I had cooked provisions enough to last four days As ere ready to start, Uncle Ezra ca do you think you will be gone, Carlos?” said he ”Teeks?

Then you needn't et the sheep out soout on the plains I'll see to your cattle Good-by”