“Listen here: Captain Dan Rugley says the treasure chest old Señor Morales gave us so long ago is all right. It’s chock-full of jewels and gold and money— Shucks! I’m as crazy as a child about it,” laughed the old man.
“After bein’ through what I have, and livin’ poor so many years, it’s enough to scatter the brains of an old man like me to come into a fortune. Yes, sir! And what’s mine is yours, Pratt. They tell me you are a mighty good boy. Captain Dan speaks well of you—”
“And I ought to,” growled the old ranchman from the background. “I owe something to him, too, for what he did for Frances.”
“Heh?” exclaimed Lonergan. He turned short around and stared at the blushing Frances. “She’s a mighty fine girl, I reckon?”
“The best in the Panhandle,” declared the old ranchman, nodding understandingly.
“And this boy of my sister’s is a pretty good fellow, Dan?” asked Lonergan.
“Mighty fine–mighty fine,” admitted Captain Dan Rugley.
“I tell you what,” whispered Jonas, in the Captain’s ear, “this dividin’ up the contents of that old treasure chest will only be temporary after all–just temporary, eh?”
“We’ll see–we’ll see, Lon,” said Captain Dan, carefully. “They’re young yet, they’re over-young. But ’twould certain sure be a romantic outcome of all our adventures together years ago, eh?”
“Right you are, Captain, right you are!” agreed Lonergan.