Again Bucky’s laughing blue eyes met the brown ones of his sweetheart.
“Oh, I’ll consent, all right, and I reckon, ma’am, it’s mighty good of you to treat me so white. I’ll sure try to please you.”
Webb thumped him on the back. “Now, you’re shouting. We want you to be one of us, young man.”
Once more that happy, wireless message of eyes followed by O’Connor’s assent. “That’s what I want myself, seh.”
Bucky found a surprise waiting for him at the stables. A heavy hand descended upon his shoulder. He whirled, and looked up into the face of Sheriff Collins.
“You here, Val?” he cried in surprise.
“That’s what. Any luck, Bucky?”
They went out and sat down on the big rocks back of the corral. Here each told the other his story, with certain reservations. Collins had just got back from Epitaph, where he had been to get the fragments of paper which told the secret of the buried treasure. He was expecting to set out in the early morning to meet Leroy.
“I’ll go with you,” said Bucky immediately.
Val shook his head. “No, I’m to go alone. That’s the agreement.”