SINGLETREE 20

single had a bad feelng about that mine . he sat up straight and drove the team hard until mid night. clara never said a word but kept looking at him with a unasked question on her lips. at mid night he pulled the wagon off the trail into a thicket and unhitched the team. he made a bed for clara under the wagon and takeing his rifle and a serape he walked back to the trail and found a comfortable spot and sat down wrapped in the srape. he slept until sun up. what he or any one else didnt know was kosterlinsky was watching the mine from a distant hill top with a telescope.he watched single and clara roll away into th dark. the three indians he watched walk away into the desert. he saw no other movement but he knew at least one , maybe two men remained behind. he had showen no surprise when he looked at the peice of ore. he did see the gold but he didnt want to put everyone on alert. he didnt want the wagon load of ore. he wanted to look in that mine tunnel if he needed to he would bring his own crew of miners and take what they mined into mexico. his term as a rurale capitan was drawing near the end and there was soon to be a regeim change in mexico. he knew he would be considered on the wrong side. his polish hide would become perforated as well as any mexicans. but he didnt want to leave here empty handed. when single and clara rolled into tucson both breathed a sigh of relief. the big team was drawn but still working hard into the collers. he went first to a good hotel and got clara settled in. then back to the railroad station to unload the ore. when he got there a wire was waitting . it read the funds for the last loads were on deposit at the local bank. he folded the telegraham and pocketed it. when the wagon was unloaded he drove to the closest livery and put the teams up. he was marching along on his way to the hotel when jim star stepped up in front of him. " i wondered where i might run a foul of you." single said. " you see thos two outlaws any where?" jim asked. " yeah i saw them layed out in a bed six feet deep. the rurales brought them back. they want the reward if there was one."single put on the line. " you got any proof of all that?"jim asked. "just my word unless you wanna go ask kosterlinsky." single smilled. " i had all that ole son has to offer but without proof i cant pay a reward."jim had his deputy hat on. " ime tired, to tired to be standing here in the street arguing over something neither of us can do anything about. if i see kosterlinsky ill send him to see you."single steped around star and went on his way leaveing the deputy standing there. at the mine hanford woke the morning after clara and single had left. all was quiet. he went to the cook tent but the cook was gone, he had left in the night. hanford stumbled around and kicked up a fire and fixed a rough breakfast and a pot of coffee. he kept watch out the fly of the tent. he had a bad feeling about this day. in tucson single had delivered the telegraham to clara. then he had fallen into bed into a exhusted sound sleep. he knew that when the team was rested and he would go back to the mine. he knew he shouldnt but he had a nagging feeling about leaveing the two men behind. the next morning he escorted clara to the offices of the arizona bank. there after produceing hr identification they gave her a a accounting of the funds deposited. it was a lot of money for the day and time. she requested two thousand in cash and a cashiers check for the balance. she explained she was leaveing town but she gave instructions for single to pick up any deposits made after her departure. she didnt even mention hanford. single was taken aback at that. out side he asked why him and not hanford. " hanford was a half brother. if he lives i believe he has gone insane. should you collect any funds you can give it to him or not, as you wish. the wagon and teams are yours. " she handed him a slip of paper that was made out as a bill of sale. late that afternoon clara boarded a east bound train with a valise and a casheirs check pinned to her petty coat. single stood and watched the train out of sight. he would never see clara again. she had paid him two hundred dollers for the work he had done. but the wagon and teams were worth a fortune. he turned to the livery he had to get back to the mine.