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Show 42 time before answering. "Naw, the gold is just somethin' that keeps him livin', that's all. He's gotta have that dream or he'd be drinkin' all the time, steada just half the time." "He finds some gold, doesn't he?" Josh had never really got to know Cap's father. He was a surly, lonely man who kept to himself much of the time. When Josh visited, he usually left the room. "Oh sure, but just barely enough dust to put vittles on the table. You mighta noticed we ain't exactly rich." Josh thought of his own mother and how hard it was each month to pay the bills. And for the first time he remembered the egg route. Who would take the eggs now? He felt a lump of remorse in his throat and he swallowed. As if reading his mind, Cap pointed ahead with his chin. The main canyon ended in a rocky ledge a half mile above them. "Up on top there we can throw out our beds and sleep," Cap said. "Why not here?" Cap looked at him as if he didn't know anything. "Because this here used to be an old mule road. You can still get up it with a four wheel drive. See, somebody's been up here not long ago." He pointed to a set of tire tracks that could clearly be seen in a sandy spot among rocks that were large enough to tear the bottom out of most cars. "At least we'd ought to get where they can't find us with a car-if you want to get away from the dog catcher and the police, that is." Wearily Josh gave a slow nod. Every muscle ached and he didn't it know if he could make/up the trail across the ledges to the top of the canyon or not. "Okay, if you can, I can." |