Fat read the telegram through carefully and then looked quizzically at
Hashknife.
“Cattle detectives, eh?”
“Were,” corrected Hashknife while Sleepy grinned widely.
“So that’s why yuh can’t collect the five thousand. Say! You ain’t
goin’ to pull out of here, are yuh? This Silver River country needs
yuh, Hartley--it sure does.”
“Not now, Fat. Yo’re all set for a peaceful existence. Read the last
line of that telegram again.”
“This job keeps us too long on one side of the hill! I thought that was
code, Hartley.”
“Our code, Fat.”
“Uh-huh. Well, yuh won’t leave before tomorrow, will yuh?”
“Can’t. Got to collect money, get a deed from Hart and talk to a
preacher. By the way, if yuh see Soapy Weed tell him he’ll find us at
the restaurant eatin’ our first meal of the day. So-long Fat.”
* * * * *
Weary found Soapy and Yvonne at the front gate of the doctor’s place and
he said to Soapy:
“I dunno what it’s all about, Soapy, but Hashknife Hartley asked Ace
Hart to let yuh have that place on Opal Creek and Ace said yuh could if
yuh had a thousand dollars to buy stock with--and a wife. Hashknife said
he’d furnish the money and the preacher. Him and Sleepy are at the Chink
restaurant right now eatin’ a meal.”
Weary turned on his heel and headed back for the main street while Soapy
and Yvonne stood there in the moonlight staring at each other.
“The place on Opal Creek and a thousand dollars,” muttered Soapy
foolishly. “Hart said I could have it if I had--Yvonne, don’t you
see what it means? Yore father will get well and Joe is cleared of
everythin’. Hart gives me the place--Oh, don’tcha see what it means?
Yvonne, all I’ve got to do now is to furnish the wife?”
Yvonne reached out and touched Soapy on the sleeve, and they both looked
up at the full moon, high up over the Chongo Creek hills.
“There’s a road to the moon tonight, Soapy,” she said softly.
“That’s right, honey! It’ll take us all our life but we’ll travel
her--if yuh want to go with me.”
“I’ve always wanted to see the moon,” she replied.
Somewhere a cowboy was singing:
Love me love a lit-tul longer,
Till my wings get a lit-tul stronger.
But they didn’t hear him--and they were _not_ looking at the moon.