“Yes, but I wanted to see you first,” said Claude. “I am getting sick of staying in this country——”
“Ah! You don’t like the idea of the Sioux being down on you,” said his uncle with a laugh.
“I don’t care anything about that. I have been discontented here for a long time, and I am impatient to get back to the city. Give me some money and let me go.”
“We are very busy just now, Claude, and I don’t know whether I can find anybody to show you the way to Standing Rock Agency or not. If you can wait two or three weeks I will send somebody with you.”
Claude waited for him to say something about a reward for breaking up that safe robbery, but Mr. Preston did not say anything about it. It was right on the end of Claude’s tongue to ask him if he was going to give him anything for that, but on the whole he concluded that he would hold his peace.
“How much money have I got coming to me?” he asked. “I know I have not got much,” he added mentally, “but that will start me on the road.”
“I owe you four hundred dollars,” said his uncle. “You know you spent money pretty lively while you were down at the fort. That sum can’t help you much if you are in a big city. Your expensive habits will get the better of you. What do you intend to do?”
“I don’t know. I know, or did know, of a news depot that I could buy for eight hundred dollars, and that would support me as well as anything. But the trouble is, I haven’t got the eight hundred dollars.”
“No, it takes money to make money, as I have often heard you express it. You could probably get that news depot for your four hundred dollars down, and if you were economical——”
“No, I could not. The man must have cash, for he intends to leave the country.”