“Heard from him lately?”
“A month or so ago I got a letter. He was sick and wanted me to come home, but I was strapped and I couldn’t. It was just before we made the strike. I wouldn’t tell him I was busted. When you quit home with your dander up, you want to make good before you come back, don’t you?”
“It saves your pride,” admitted Barnes.
He met Van Patten’s eyes with frank friendliness. He found himself beginning to sympathize in a way with the man.
“I suppose Dad thought I didn’t use him very well,” ran on Van Patten, “but that can’t be helped now. I’ll square things with him when I see him.”
Barnes waited.
“Say,” exclaimed Van Patten with enthusiasm, “I’m going to give the Dad the time of his life in these next few years. I’m going to show him something of this country. He’s been too busy to travel, but I’m going to make him go back to Alaska with me. Why, do you know we’ve got a country up there as large as all the United States east of the Mississippi river if you take out Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and West Virginia?”
“Yes,” answered Barnes, mildly. “I knew that.”
“Why, there’s over half a million square miles up there.”
“To be exact, five hundred and eighty-six miles.”