“Sit down, Johnny, and cool off,” he advised. “If anybody had robbed you, they’d have taken the whole kit and kaboodle. Did you come out ahead on those monte games?”
99Johnny blushed, and laughed a little.
“I see what you’re at, but you’re away off there. I just played for small stakes.”
“And lost a lot of them. I sort of look-out your game. But that’s all right. How much did the ‘robbers’ leave you?”
“Twelve dollars, besides what I have in my clothes–twenty-one dollars in all,” said Johnny.
“Well, that’s pretty good. You beat Frank and me to death. There’s our total assets,” said Talbot, and laid a ten-dollar gold piece and a dime on his knee.
“We’ll call that dime a curiosity,” said he, “for I notice a quarter is the smallest coin they use out here. Now you see that we’ve got to talk business. Frank and I haven’t got enough to live on for one more day.”
“There’s enough among us─” began Yank.
“You mean you already have your share of the partnership finances,” corrected Talbot, quickly. “If we’re going to be partners–and that’s desired and understood, I suppose?” We all nodded emphatic agreement. “We must all put in the same amount. I move that said amount be two hundred and twenty dollars apiece. Yank, you can loaf to-morrow; you’ve got your share all made up. You can put in the day finding out all about getting to the mines, and how much it costs, and what we will need.”
“All right; I’ll do it,” said Yank.