"Hoppy," said Tex, "I think that with that Shanghai party still runnin’ at large, it ’d be some wise to split up that wealth. Better take a chance of losin’ half of it than all of it. What you think?" "Same here," agreed Hopalong. He opened the sack and dumped out the packages, dividing them roughly into two parts with a sweep of his hand, and proceeded to rip up the sack, preparatory to making two parcels of the money. "’With milk an’ honey blest,’" faltered a voice and they turned to find Argue Bennett’s eyes almost starting from his head at the sight he beheld. "Playin’ ’possum, eh? It’d do you no harm to stretch hemp right now," and Tex’s meditative air was fringed with ferocity. "No offence, Comin’, no offence. You woke me movin’. Is that what Dave got away with?" "Yes—an’ there won’t no more Daves get away with it, you can bet all th’ cows you own on that." "An’ me a-riskin’ my neck rustlin’ that bunch when all that beautiful wealth was a-leavin’ th’ country easy an’ graceful an’ just a-shoutin’ to be brought back. Excuse me, Comin’. I ain’t got no call to talk. I reckon I never did talk. Th’ best I ever done since I was born is bray." Thus it came about that Shanghai suffered the acute misery of seeing his four-footed fortune headed back the way it had come. Not that he lost heart all at once. After some hours of following he had decided that a bold stroke might put him again in possession and was perfecting the details of the stratagem his ready mind conceived, when a sudden check was given by a rapidly approaching cloud of dust from the northwest. The check became check-mate when the useful field-glasses disclosed to his pained vision the hilarious meeting that took place. A certain jaunty carriage, a characteristic swagger that did not forsake him even in the saddle, made Shanghai look hard at the leader of the new-comers and suspect Cock Murray. And his suspicion was well founded. Cock Murray had already redeemed his promise to Buck and it may be pardoned him if in the joy of his heart, his swagger became so pronounced as to disclose his personality across some miles of country. Shanghai closed his glasses and moved slowly to his horse. "Well, it had to be," he conceded, philosophically. "An’ I reckon it’s about time I pulled my freight." CHAPTER XXVIII THE HEART OF A ROSE