"Now," said Hugh, as he rose, "that gold was left at the bank; I'll go up there and see that it is divided in two parts, and we'll find out what the people there will pay you for the use of yours, then I will come back here and let you know." Lajeunesse waved his hand, and they went out.
On the way to the bank, Jack said, "But, Hugh, why didn't you make him take all the gold?"
"Well, son," said Hugh, "you see, he had lost it for good and he never would have heard of it again if you boys hadn't found it, and we hadn't brought it in. I think that luck and that work entitles us to half of it, but there is another thing more important than that. You see, the old man has partly lost his mind, he isn't fit to take care of any property, and if we would give him that sack of gold, it would be just as he says; he'd leave it lying out on the sidewalk some time, and somebody would pick it up and walk off with it, or he would put it down somewhere and forget where he left it, or he'd give it away. It wouldn't do him no good nor us neither. What I'm going to do is this, if you boys agree; I'm going to deposit half these drafts that we got for the gold to your credit but we'll see that the interest is paid to him every month. Then as long as he stays here, he'll have a living and yet he won't be able to spend the principal. Then if ever he dies the money will be here to the credit of you two boys, one half to each."
"Well, but," said Jack, "suppose he's got any children or a wife?"
"Well," said Hugh, "he ain't got neither, without he's married since I knew him and that ain't noways likely. But we can find out about that anyhow."
When they reached the bank, Hugh explained the matter in detail to the manager, who was an old resident of Fort Benton and knew Lajeunesse well. One half the money was deposited in the name of Jack and Joe as joint owners, the interest to be paid monthly at the rate of one and a quarter per cent. per month to Lajeunesse. This would give him nearly $50 a month. Returning to Baptiste, they told him what had been done, and while he and Hugh were talking it over, Jack untied from his shirt the gold charger and when the opportunity came, offered it to the old man.
"There can't be any doubt," he said, "Mr. Lajeunesse, that this is yours, for it is marked with your name and you should take it." The old man smiled kindly as he took it in his hand and looked at it thoughtfully, then he handed it back and said, "No, my friend, in these days I don't use such things, and besides, it brought me bad luck. If you like it, keep it always to remember a man to whom you were kind. I shall think of you, Casse-tête, and of your boys, many times from this on. Every month I shall have a good reminder of you."
They sat all day chatting together, Hugh and Baptiste doing most of the talking, though sometimes they addressed the boys. About the middle of the afternoon, Hugh rose, and shaking hands with Baptiste, said that it was time to go. The two old friends walked slowly toward the stable, while the boys ran ahead and found a wagon hitched up and their property partly loaded in it. It was arranged that all the horses should be left in Joe's care, to be kept in the Piegan camp, and that Hugh or Jack would write him, to say what should be done with the stock; if he heard nothing from them, he was to keep the animals until next summer, when it was hoped Jack and Hugh would again go to the Piegan camp.
The ride down to the point where the steamboat was tied up was rather a melancholy one. Jack and Joe sat together on the back seat not saying much, but holding fast each other's hands. When the boat was reached, all were busy for a little while transferring the goods to the deck and then the captain came to Hugh and said, "Well, you got here just in time; there's a little more water coming down to-day, and I'm going to start now just as soon as we can cast off the lines."