Now Rose was certain Silas was deranged. “It’s common knowledge his family left Virginia destitute. His friends had to buy this place for them.”
“Captain Randolph led a raiding party on a union Army wagon train carrying a payroll of over half a million in gold. In the confusion, the wagon carrying the gold disappeared. They never found it.”
“What makes you think George’s father had anything to do with it? Presumably there were other men in his patrol.”
“That wagon train was near his home when it was ambushed. Nobody in that train would know the surrounding countryside like Captain Randolph.”
“Assuming there was a payroll and that George’s father took it, it couldn’t have anything to do with George or Jeff. Neither of them saw their father after they enlisted.”
“He could have sent them a letter.”
“So he could, but the letter could have gotten lost. The treasure could have gotten lost, or the wagon could have gotten lost. This whole thing could be your distorted imagination. I don’t know who told you this fairy tale about George having gold, or knowing where it is, but he’s wrong. Knowing George, if he did know where the gold was hidden, he’d return it.”
“He’s not such a fool,” Silas said, laughing.
“Not everyone prizes gold above honor.”
“Half a million?”
“Half a million, especially a half million we neither have nor know anything about.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Obviously, or you wouldn’t still be going on about it. Look around. Does this look like the home of a rich man?”
“He could have it hidden.”
“George and his brother walked from Virginia driving that bull before them. Now, if you know how they could have managed to transport five hundred thousand dollars worth of gold without anybody knowing, you know a lot more than I do.”
“They could have left it in Virginia.”
“I’m surprised you’re not off somewhere prospecting,” Rose said. “I never knew anyone with a worse case of gold fever.”
“Probably,” Silas said, getting to his feet. “I always did dream of striking it rich. It sure beats working for it one dollar at a time.”
“I won’t argue with you there, but about the only way to get rich quick is to take something that belongs to somebody else. I can’t imagine anyone who was brought up on the same principles as my husband doing something like that. You wouldn’t, would you?”
“Ma’am, a man never knows what he’ll do until he’s faced with the temptation. A half million dollars is a mighty powerful temptation. Now where did you say that boy was likely to be hiding? I don’t want to be looking behind every bush between here and the camp.”
“You’re most likely to find him along the creek,” Rose said.
She was relieved to see Silas go. She wasn’t afraid of him, but he worried her. A man with gold fever could be dangerous. And right now they didn’t need any more danger. She would mention it to George tonight. It probably wasn’t anything, but it was best to be on the safe side.
“King said he’d be happy to trade. He said he’d rather give them to us than have Cortina slaughter them for hides and tallow. The army is going after his raiders, but everybody knows it won’t do any good. They can’t go into Mexico after him.”
Jeff had gotten back from Corpus Christi the night before and had barely stopped talking since. Rose couldn’t remember seeing him so animated. She would have given a lot to know what had brought about the change and whether it was likely to last very long.
George did love her, deeply and truly—she was convinced of that now—but she didn’t want to put his loyalty to a test. The claims of his family were of much longer standing than her own.
“He said he’d take the steers to St. Louis next spring if we want. We’d have to take our chances on the trail, but they’re offering the best price we’ll ever find, maybe as much as thirty dollars. We could lose them, too. What with rustlers, stampedes, and Indians, it’s a fifty-fifty gamble. Or we can wait until next spring and sell to a buyer.”
“What do you think we ought to do?” George asked.
“Trail north with King. If anybody’s going to get through, he’s the man.”
“Where do we get the money to pay the men?”
“King will take the herd now. It would save him worrying about getting up with us next spring. He agreed to give us twelve dollars a head now and the rest when we sell.”
George was pleased with his brother. For the first time he’d been able to put aside his own troubles and concentrate on his job.