"Then there is gold about here?"
"There is gold? Say, Maudie," he remarked in a humourous half-aside to the young woman who was passing with No—thumb-Jack, "this fellow wants to know if there is gold here."
She laughed. "Guess he ain't been here long."
Now it is not to be denied that this rejoinder was susceptible of more than one interpretation, but the mackinaw man seemed satisfied, so much so that he offered Maudie the second gin-sling which the Colonel had ordered "all round." She eyed the strangers over the glass. On the hand that held it a fine diamond sparkled. You would say she was twenty-six, but you wouldn't have been sure. She had seemed at least that at a distance. Now she looked rather younger. The face wore an impudent look, yet it was delicate, too. Her skin showed very white and fine under the dabs of rouge. The blueness was not yet faded out of her restless eyes.
"Minóok's all right. No josh about that," she said, setting down her glass. Then to the Boy, "Have a dance?"
"Not much," he replied rather roughly, and turned away to talk about the diggin's to two men on the other side.
Maudie laid her hand on the Colonel's arm, and the diamond twitched the light. "You will," she said.
"Well, you see, ma'am"—the Colonel's smile was charming in spite of his wild beard—"we've done such a lot o' dancin' lately—done nothin' else for forty days; and after seven hundred miles of it we're just a trifle tired, ma'am."
She laughed good-naturedly.
"Pity you're tired," said the mackinaw man. "There's a pretty good thing goin' just now, but it won't be goin' long."