The moment we were in our room I began jamming packages of money into his hands.
“Look at it! Feel of it! Smell of it!” I urged. “Judge, I took that money out for an airing and the junket did it lots of good.”
He did not understand. I guess he thought I’d merely brought back the Pratt money and had gone crazy while I was out with it.
“There’s sixteen thousand dollars net and clear for us, Judge Kingsley! And I reckon we won’t hunt up Pratt and hand back the thousand that’s over and above his graft from you. He’s a liberal gentleman and he ought to be willing to pay our expenses and for wear and tear. Now pack up, sir!” I clapped him on the shoulder. “I can’t stop to tell you the story just yet. We’ll have it on the way.”
I began to pack the money into my pockets.
He was deathly white when he stood up, and he staggered against the wall.
“On the way! Where?” he gasped.
“Home!” I yelled, frolicking like a lad. “Home! And we’ve got to make a race of it if we propose to head Uncle Deck Sidney under the wire!”
Ten minutes later I was humping around Breed City, trying to find out how I could escape.
The stage would not leave till morning. And that stage would take us to Royal City, and blamed if I wanted to go through Royal City.