One morning said John Cannon said to his brother Buck and brother-in-law Manolito Montoya, “I have an order for you. In Rock City a crate with goods awaits for you. It’s already being paid so you only have to pick it up.”
Buck and Manolito looked at each other.
“But John, Rock City is a few hours driving. And that with that heat”, reacted Buck.
“That’s why I suggest that you eat on fast and leave then right away”, answered his brother.
They did that and a little later the couple left.
For not to starve of thirst Buck had taken a bottle of whisky along. But halfway the journey the bottle was already empty.
“Mano, do you know what the 1st thing is that we do when we get in Rock City?”, asked Buck.
“No, tell amigo”, Manolito wanted to know.
“Get a new bottle of whisky for the journey back”, answered Buck.
Of course Manolito agreed with that.
Just after riding for a long time Buck and Manolito reached Rock City.
“Buck, we are here. Just get the goods and then we can throttle our throats”, said Manolito.
“Can’t we better first throttle our throats and then pick up the goods?”, asked Buck.
Manolito nodded and jumped off the box.
“John did say that the goods were already have been paid, didn’t he? So what’s stopping us then?”, asked Buck.
Manolito answered, “Nothing amigo. Nothing at all.”
Buck hitched the horses and went inside the saloon with his roommate.
Only hours later the 2 friends knew again why they were in Rock City.
“Buck, are you coming to get those goods?”, asked Manolito.
“Goods? Which goods?”, Buck asked innocent.
Manolito explained, “The goods which we have to pick up for your brother and my brother-in-law.”
Buck thought deep for a second and remembered it then too.
“Are you coming, Mano?”, asked the rancher.
They left the saloon and went to the shop where 2 crates stood next to each other.
“We come for the goods of John Cannon of the High Chaparral. He said that it was already been paid”, said Buck.
The shopkeeper pointed at 1 of the 2 crates and said, “Take that one along. The other one is for the orphanage.”
“Must we take that crate too and deliver it?”, asked Buck.
“If you would like to do that, please”, answered the shop keeper.
The 2 picked up the crates and carried them to their wagon. After that they rode away.
Quite soon they came in the area of the orphanage.
“Buck, we are nearly at the orphanage. Quickly deliver the right crate and then off to home”, said Manolito.
Buck climbed off the wagon and walked to the crates. He checked them carefully and came then to a painful conclusion.
“Mano, do you remember which crate was for the High Chaparral? I had forgotten it”, he confessed.
The Mexican came to stand next to him and said, “Then we have a big problem, amigo. I have forgotten it too.”
They looked at each other questionable. Buck climbed on the wagon and checked both crates. On none of both crates was written for whom what was.
“I know something Mano. We go to the orphanage and deliver both crates there. There we open them and then we’ll see soon enough which crate is for the High Chaparral”, said Buck.
The friends did that and soon they had reached the orphanage. The building looked dark and sad. Buck stopped the wagon and with Manolito he looked at the building.
“So here live all those poor orphans?”, Buck asked amazed.
“I says there ‘orphanage’. So apparently they will live there then”, answered Manolito.
“We are going to make those poor orphans glad with what we haven along for them”, said Buck.
He jumped off the box and knocked at the door. Mother Superior answered the door.
“Can I help you?”, she asked carefully.
“I am Buck Cannon and that is Manolito Montoya. We had to pick up a crate with goods for my brother John. Only we have spent too much time at the saloon to bring the right crate. To mark that I mean. At the store was another crate and the shopkeeper said that it was meant for the orphanage. But now we don’t know anymore which was is for you and which for our ranch. I got the idea to open both crates to see what’s in it”, said Buck.
“That’s alright. Do you carry them inside?”, asked Mother Superior.
“We do that senora”, Manolito said smiling friendly.
Quickly the crates got carried inside.
With a big hammer Buck opened the crates. In the 1st crate was all food and drinks to keep good for a long time.
“That is the crate for the High Chaparral. Victoria had made a long list with food and drinks on it”, said Manolito.
Then the 2nd crate got opened. Inside it were all toys.
“This one is clearly not for the High Chaparral”, said Buck.
Meanwhile the orphan children had come closer and curious and they saw the 2 crates. The children looked hungry and looked especially at the crate with food and drink.
“We can’t give them much to eat”, Mother Superior explained.
“Sister Oppernon, we have to discuss something”, said Manolito.
He dragged Buck outside.
“Buck, we have more than enough to eat and drink at the High Chaparral. Do you think that John would mind if we left our crate for our ranch here behind? Those little children need it much more than we do”, said the Mexican.
First Buck had to let it get through to himself but once he understood it his answer was, “We just leave both crates here. John will probably understand.”
They went inside again and Buck said, “Miss Oppernon, we have discussed it together and decided that both crates are for the orphanage. At home we have more than plenty to eat and drink. And they don’t.”
“The Lord will forever be grateful to you, Mr Cannon and senor Montoya. And my title is Mother Superior. Although I find Oppernon also sounding nice”, said Mother Superior amused.
“You’re welcome Oppernon. I mean Mother Superior”, said Buck said laughing.
On the way to the ranch Buck and Manolito didn’t even have to think about a good excuse. Because they had a very good excuse.
By midnight Buck rode upon the yard. John and his wife Victoria were already waiting for them.
“You took your time. Did that crate still have to be made?”,asked John.
“No John. Not that but we left without goods and came home again too without goods. First we had something to drink at Rock City. After that we took your crate and one for the orphan age. By the many drinks we didn’t know anymore which crate was for us and which one for the orphanage. So we delivered both crates there and opened them. Then those poor hungry orphan children saw the food. So we decided to leave that crate there”, said Buck.
“John, those children hardly have anything to eat and we do”, Manolito explained.
First the rancher wanted to get angry at his brother and brother-in-law but because they meant it well he began to smile though.
“It’s alright. But don’t count on it that I will send you 2 soon on the road for an order again”, he said.
Buck en Manolito remembered this far too well because when they heard the word ‘order’ they had disappeared very quickly trackless.