Though the narrator stops Wheeler from continuing his tall tale at the very end of the story, and assumes that his quest was fruitless, it’s possible that he’s just been had, as he suggests in the introduction. Perhaps his friend never intended for the narrator to learn about the Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley but, instead, to realize that as rusty and rough as these westerners are, they know and appreciate street smarts – and sometimes street smarts are more important than a fine education.