After a few days the post doctor was as certain Prebbles would recover as he had been positive, at the time he sent his message to Cameron, that he had not many hours to live.
The reward paid by the government for the capture of Murgatroyd was made over to the old clerk. On this, he and his son were to begin life anew.
One of the first things Matt did, after reaching the post with Newt Prebbles, was to write to Mrs. Traquair, at Jamestown, settling a mystery which had long puzzled every one who knew of Murgatroyd's attempts to secure the Wells County homestead.
There was coal under the soil of the quarter-section, and the railroad company wanted it. That was the secret, and Mrs. Traquair profited handsomely by the knowledge of it.
The mortgage was paid, and the homestead passed into the hands of the railroad company.
In a country so barren of trees as North Dakota, coal is a valuable commodity.
Matt still kept the aëroplane, and still persistently refused to put it in storage at the post, to be called for later.
"The Comet," said Matt, one evening when he and McGlory were again with Cameron, "has got to earn something for Joe, and Ping, and myself."
"Ping comes in on the deal, does he?" laughed Cameron.