"Always figure on the safe side," suggested Lafond.
"You're dead right there," responded the other, "and that is just what we've done. We've put down that fifty thousand as dead clear outlay for a starter, without any offsets by way of return, and surely some of that ore will pay something before we get down two hundred feet. Oh, we're all right on that. You'll see us booming before spring!"
Lafond watched the wagon out of sight with a smile in his inscrutable eyes. Then he went down to spend his afternoon with Durand, humming the remnants of a little Canadian chanson.
"A fool for luck," he repeated to himself; "a regular fool for luck, Lafond. All you have to do is to sit right still, and it comes to you without the effort on your part."
Between him and his object there now intervened but fifty thousand dollars. And fifty thousand dollars was not an unlimited sum of money.
XXIV
BILLY STARTS IN ON HIS FIFTY THOUSAND
Billy was gone almost a month.
During that interim Lafond had absolutely nothing to do but wait, for his affairs, both domestic and foreign, were doing well.