Part 5
“No, yuh don’t!” whispered Uncle Andy. “No, yuh don’t. Eddie Connors said that you two allus pull out on folks. You’ve got yore war-sacks with yuh--but yuh ain’t goin’. Nossir, yuh ain’t. This time, yuh don’t go. Hashknife Hartley, tomorrow night is Christmas Eve--and you brought peace to Dancin’ Devil. Johnny’s free to marry Nell t’morrow night--we get our money back--and you just _try_ to leave here!”
“You won’t go--will you?” asked Nell, her voice choked. “You can’t even think of it, Hashknife--not this time.”
“Well,” said Hashknife quietly, “I reckon we _can_ stay.”
“Can stay!” snorted Uncle Andy. “You’ll stay, if I have to hog-tie yuh. You ain’t the right size nor the right shape, but if Sandy Claus ever came to Dancin’ Devil Valley, yo’re him.”
“Let’s go get Johnny,” said Aunt Judy quietly. “The sheriff just went down there.”
* * * * *
Hashknife and Sleepy, still holding to their war-bags, stood in the hotel doorway. Frenchy Arnett came past, stopped and looked at them. Sleepy said, “How’r yuh comin’, Frenchy?”
“I’m all right,” replied Frenchy. “Everythin’ is all right. Yuh see, Chiquita _sold_ that ring; she wasn’t tradin’ it. Yeah, I reckon it’s all right.”
Frenchy went on. Sleepy said, “Well, yuh can’t run away from everythin’. Maybe they’ll make you best man. But tell me somethin’, Tall-Feller; how’d you manage to suspect Tom Colton?”
“’Member the first time he talked with me, Sleepy. He had a telegram from James Morrison, who turned out to be Regan. After we took this job, Regan didn’t have time to get a letter about us, and the telegram didn’t mention who we were. But Colton said, ‘After all, the Cattlemens’ Association wouldn’t recommend a man who wasn’t capable.’ How would he know who recommended us, unless he had another wire ahead of the one I read?”
“That wasn’t much to go on,” said Sleepy.
“It was enough,” smiled Hashknife. “Maybe I better send a telegram to Bob Marsh, and tell him the ranches ain’t for sale.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea, pardner; and when yuh write it--give him my regards, will yuh?”
They grinned at each other, went back and registered again.
[Transcriber’s Note: This story appeared in the October 25, 1948 issue of _Short Stories Magazine_.]