“That’s a question,” he said. “If I’d tell you, you’d have the answer. But I’m not going to show it to nobody!”
“Well, you don’t need to think that I care!” she spoke up resentfully, “nobody asked you to show them your gold. And after what happened with the Willie Meena I wouldn’t take your old mine for a gift.”
“You won’t have to,” he replied. “I’ve quit taking in pardners–it’s a lone hand for me, after this. I’m sure slow in the head, but I reckon I’ve learned my lesson–never go up against the other man’s game. Old Eells is a lawyer and I tried to 88beat him at law. We’ve switched the deal now and he can play my game a while–hide-and-seek, up in them high peaks.”
He waved his hand in the direction of the Panamints and winked at her exultantly.
“Look at that!” he said, and drew a rock from his shirt pocket which was caked and studded with gold. It was more like a chunk of gold with a little quartz attached to it, and as she exclaimed he leaned back and gloated. “I’ve got worlds of it!” he declared. “Let ’em get out and rustle for it–that’s the way I made my start. By the time they’ve rode as far as I have they’ll know she’s a mountain sheep country. I located two mines right smack beside the trail and these jaspers came along and stole them both. All right! Fine! Fine! Let ’em look for the old Sockdolager where I got this gold, and the first man that finds it can have it! I’m a sport–I haven’t even staked it!”
“And can I have it?” asked Billy, her eyes beginning to glow, “because, oh, we need money so bad!”
“What for, kid?” inquired Wunpost with a fatherly smile. “Ain’t you got a good home, and everything?”
“Yes, but the road–Father’s road. If I just had the money we’d start right in on it tomorrow.”
“Hoo! I’ll build you the road!” declared Wunpost munificently. “And it won’t cost either one of us a cent. Don’t believe it, eh? You think this is bunk? Then I’ll tell you, kid, what I’ll do. I’ll 89make you a bet we’ll have a wagon-road up that canyon before three months are up. And all by head-work, mind ye–not a dollar of our own money–might even get old Eells to build it. Yes, I’m serious; I’ve got a new system–been thinking it out, up in the hills–and just to show you how brainy I am I’ll make this demonstration for nothing. You don’t need to bet me anything, just acknowledge that I’m the king when it comes to the real inside work; and before I get through I’ll have Judson Eells belly up and gasping for air like a fish. I’m going to trim him, the big fat slob; I’m going to give him a lesson that’ll learn him to lay off of me for life; I’m going to make him so scared he’ll step down into the gutter when he meets me coming down the sidewalk. Well, laugh, doggone it, but you watch my dust–I’m going to hang his hide on the fence!”
“That’s what you told me before,” she reminded him mischievously, “but somehow it didn’t work out.”