Come, Bill, help take
'em up!"
"Hold on!" said a dozen voices. A dozen hands were thrust into a dozen
pockets; I grieve to say some were regretfully withdrawn empty, for it
was a hard season in Rough and Ready. But the expressman stepped before
them, with warning, uplifted hand.
"Not a cent, boys,--not a cent! Wells, Fargo's Express Company don't
undertake to carry bullion with those kids, at least on the same
contract!" He laughed, and then looking around him, said confidentially
in a lower voice, which, however, was quite audible to the children,
"There's as much as three bags of silver in quarter and half dollars in
my treasure box in the coach that has been poured, yes, just showered
upon them, ever since they started, and have been passed over from agent
to agent and messenger to messenger,--enough to pay their passage from
here to China! It's time to say quits now. But bet your life, they are
not going to that Christmas party poor!"
He caught up the boy, as Yuba Bill lifted the little girl to his
shoulder, and both passed out.
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