‘Somebody stepped on my foot.’
‘Ain’t been anybody within six feet of yuh.’
‘And I—I own the 6X6?’ asked Rex foolishly.
‘Yuh shore do!’ exclaimed Spike. ‘It’s yore ranch, kid.’
Rex blinked at them foolishly. ‘And Peter Morgan was my father? It was he who sent that check to my mother?’
‘I reckon it was Briggs,’ said Hashknife. ‘Peter Morgan didn’t want anybody to know; so he had Briggs send the checks.’
‘Was he ashamed of my mother?’
‘I dunno. We’ll never know, Rex; they’re both gone. You be content with what he left yuh.’
Rex nodded dumbly. He could hardly understand his great fortune. The boys came and shook hands with him. They all wanted to shake hands with Nan, but she had slipped away to her room. The boys filed out of the house, mounted their horses, and headed back to Mesa City. Hashknife yawned wearily and started for the door.
‘Hashknife,’ said Rex slowly, ‘I don’t understand anything. I know you are the one responsible for all this good fortune, but I can’t think of just what to say. If, as you say, the 6X6 belongs to me—will you take charge of it? I don’t know anything about it. I’d like to hire all those boys.’