“Yeah,” Putnam said. “Like you said, we don’t have no other prospects.”
“Come on down to the stable,” Dinkins said. “We’ll get the two of you mounted.”
The three men stood up and started away from the table.
“Don’t leave the whiskey behind,” Dinkins said. “It’s already paid for.”
Parnell walked back to the table and grabbed the bottle.
“Now, when we get to the stable, let me do the talking,” Dinkins said on the way out.
“Hello, Mr. Kirkeby,” the teenaged hostler at the stable said. “Back to rent a horse again?”
“Yes, and I’d like the same one if you don’t mind,” Dinkins said. “Oh, and I’ll need two more today. These men, Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown are thinking about investing in my mine. I want to take them out to show them what it’s like.”
“When are you going to tell me where that mine is?” the young man asked.
“Ha, you would like to know, wouldn’t you?” Dinkins wagged his finger back and forth.
“I know it’s not too far, ’cause you’ve had the horse back within a couple hours every day.”
“You’re too smart for me,” Dinkins said. “That’ll be two dollars apiece for the horses, right?”
“Yes, sir, two dollars for a full day. And remember, no matter what time you bring ’em back, you’ll still be charged the two dollars.”
“Yeah, I’ve already found that out by comin’ back early,” Dinkins said. “Think I can get a break on account I’m rentin’ three horses?”
“No sir. Mr. Zigenhorn, he owns the livery, and he says I got to charge two dollars per day per horse, for ever’ horse that gets rented.”
“Highway robbery,” Dinkins said as he counted out the money.
Fifteen minutes later the three men left Canon City, heading west.
“When you said you would supply us with horses, I didn’t know you was talkin’ about rentin’ horses,” Putnam said. “Hell, how far can we go on rented horses?”
“As far as we want, seein’ as I don’t plan on turnin’ ’em back in,” Dinkins said.
Parnell laughed out loud. “Ha! That’s why you been rentin’ horses there, ain’t it? You planned all along to do this. You was just makin’ him trust you.”
“Your friend is smart,” Dinkins said to Putnam. “Now, if you boys just pay attention to me and do what I tell you, you’ll have more money than you know what to do with.”
“Ain’t possible,” Parnell said. “No matter how much money I have, I’ll always know what to do with it.”
Smoke drove a buckboard into town to pick up Sally. It would not only be good for carrying her luggage—Sally never traveled light no matter where she went—it would also be good for him to pick up a few supplies he needed.
He was at least half an hour early for the train, but figured it would be better to be early than late. As he was checking the blackboard in front of the depot to get the latest telegraphic report on the train, he heard a familiar voice calling to him.
“Smoke, I’m over here,” Sally said.
Smoke looked at her with a shocked expression on his face.
“Sally! What are you doing here?” He pointed to the blackboard. “According the schedule, the train isn’t due for another half hour.”
“That train isn’t due for another half hour. But the train I was on arrived at midnight last night.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I changed trains in St. Louis. I should have known it would arrive here in the middle of the night. I just didn’t think it out.”
“You didn’t spend the night here, in the depot, did you?” Smoke asked anxiously.
Sally laughed. “Of course not, silly. I stayed in the hotel. Tell me, Smoke, am I just going to stand here like a toad on a log? Or am I going to get a welcome home kiss?”
Smoke laughed, then went to her where they embraced and kissed deeply and unashamedly, on the brick platform in front of the depot.
“I had Mr. Anderson hold my luggage overnight for me.”
“Good. But if you don’t mind, we’ll come back for it a little later. I have some things I need to pick up—some wire and fence posts.”
Sally chuckled. “It’s roundup time and you’ve put the fencing off until the last minute, haven’t you?”
“I have an excuse for it. I hate fences.” Smoke helped Sally into the buckboard.
As they left the depot, they saw a stagecoach drawn up in front of the stage depot.
“Smoke, drive over there,” Sally said. “I want to tell a friend good-bye.”
Smoke drove over to where the coach was being loaded. Sally looked toward the passengers, smiled when she saw Tamara, and called her name.
With a glance toward the coach to make certain she wasn’t going to be left behind, Tamara hurried over to the
