"I want you to tell me about Pete and his creek again," he said. "Steve Chance is awfully keen to go prospecting, and to go and look for this gold-mine of yours."
"And why not, Ned? I wish you would, for my sake."
"I would do a good deal for your sake, Lilla," he answered; "but I can't believe in this creek, you know."
"Not believe in it! Why not, Ned?"
"There was too much gold in it; the whole story is too much like a fairy tale. And then, you know, when you took him in, Pete was as penniless as I was."
"Penniless! What's that?"
"Hadn't a cent to his name, I mean, and you fed him and took care of him."
"Ach, so. Well, what has that to do with the creek?"
"People who find gold-mines ought not to be dependent upon good little girls like you for their bread and cheese. It's not natural, you know."
"Ach, now you make me to understand. But you yourself, you don't know Cariboo ways. Pete had plenty of dust, oh, lots and lots of dust, when he came down; but, of course, he blew it all in before I saw him."