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"My people. For many years my people did not know about banks. Then they came to the town and the banker encouraged everyone to put their money in the bank. They did, then one day the banker says, the money was gone, and we could not have our money from it. He says there was a run on it, which I did not understand. There was no money. The people they need their money, but the bank no have. So later, when the big cattlemen move in, there is money, but he no give it to our people. Our people are poor, they go hungry. It was not right, the others, in the town, they got theirs, but they said because we didn't save the receipts, they have no record of how much for who. So, we take it. We bury it in the Davis mountains. And we leave for the ranger, he chases us."
"You think they'll forget?"
"I hope so, si. After all, they forget to pay the money they owe my people. Said they had no record of it. Said we didn't either. So, we take."
"That's a lot of money," someone said. "How do we know you ain't still got it?"
"Because you see, we cannot carry that much on our bodies, and our horses have only blankets and saddles on them. It is too much to haul around the country. We buried it, and we will return to it soon. So, our people will no longer starve."
Ferg watched the man asking all the questions closely for a moment.
"You want us to leave?" The Mexican asked.
"No, not as long as you can stick to our rules." Ferg told him.
"Si, we will!"
"Good!" Ferg walked off from him. "I hope that stew is ready I'm starvin'." Ferg told Snow Bird.
"It is ready," she smiled.
Later Matt asked Ferg, "You believe that Mexican?"
"I don't know, but as long as he doesn't cause trouble, he can stay here, and no one will bother him."
Matt shook his head, "I don't know Ferg. Some people here might think he's got it with him and cause a problem."
"Yeah, I know. We'll have to keep a watch on things. But winter is almost over, and we'll be movin' on. That reminds me. Where you two going?"
Matt glanced at Snow Bird. "I don't know."
"You gonna take her to her people, now?"
"Ferg, they won't accept the baby. She doesn't want to go anymore." Matt explained.
"Good, I'd hate to think something could happen to you. I'm glad, little buddy." Ferg told him.
"I want to build her a home, so when the kids come, we'll have a shelter." Matt told him.
"That would be good." Ferg agreed.
"Yeah, but I don't have any money to buy the land with. We gotta go somewhere that we can work the land for nothin'. You see, I want a home, and a place to raise our kids. A place we can live in peace. I don't care how far we have to go."
"You say you don't have any money for land right now?"
"That's right. I'll go somewhere and work for it, until I've saved enough."
"Son, that could take years."
"With her with me, I don't care. I'll find a way…."
"Well, I think you'd qualify for head of house-hold. But I tell you what. We'll go with you to find out. If you can't pay, then one of us can and you and Snow Bird can live there."
"But that wouldn't be right. I wouldn't own it."
"Don't matter. We don't take to a permanent residence, son. We are trappers, we move around a lot, but it would be some place for us to come home to. Be kind of nice having a home to come home to. Some of us haven't had that in years."
Matt studied on that a while. "Well, no matter where we live, you'd always be welcome there." Matt told Ferg.
