“Nobody owes me a thing—not even thanks. We’ve helped ourselves. And I’ve helped myself most of all.”
“But I thought you said you hadn’t a claim on it?”
“That’s so.”
“Well?”
Bill laughed outright.
“Guess you’ve forgotten the ‘girl-child, white.’” Raymes nodded. His usually sober face was smiling in response.
“I know. You located her.”
“Sure I did.” Bill sucked happily at his old pipe. “I located her. And I brought her and her folks right down with me to this city. I fixed ’em all up in a swell house, and made things right for them. The Kid and I are going to be married in two weeks from now. And I’ll take it friendly for you to stand by me when the passon fixes things. No, I don’t guess anyone owes me a thing. The Kid herself is my claim, an’ she’s chock full of the only gold that sets me yearning.”
“Well, say!”
The police officer sat gazing in smiling astonishment.