“Stoney—clean bust. Wal, money never did cut much ice with me, but it did with you. You’ve squandered a hell of a lot of money on things that didn’t matter, and now here’s old man Ruin come to say How-do.”
Angela regarded him in astonishment.
“You mean to say—you’ve lost all your money?”
“Oh no. I only lost some of it. You lost the other. Don’t talk. I don’t suppose you have any notion of what you’ve spent in less than six months. Anyway, it’s done, and squealing won’t help matters.... I jest came to tell you to pack up. Me and you’s going to make some more money.”
She jumped up.
“What are you talking about?”
“You will pack a box or two with things that are essential for a trip to Alaska.”
“Alaska!”
“Jest that. We’re joining the stampede—you and me. I’ll call for you to-morrow morning at ten. Stampedes don’t allow for no waste time. First come first served.”
She suddenly burst into laughter. The whole 108 thing was so ridiculous. He imagined she was going to accompany him into the frozen wastes of Alaska to dig gold. It was excruciatingly funny. But when she looked again at him she didn’t feel like repeating the laugh. She had never seen such fixity of purpose in any man’s expression. He seemed to have added more inches to his colossal height.