Alec"s agreement came with a smiling nod. He became expansive.
"Sure," he said. "You know Murray"s got no women-folk around him. And I guess a feller"s not alive till he"s got women-folk around him." He drew a deep breath. "Gee," he cried, in a sort of ecstasy. "I know those things--now."
"Yes."
Kars was watching the play of emotion in the boy"s eyes. He was following every thought pa.s.sing behind them, measuring those things which might militate against his object.
"I can tell you a thing now I"d have hated to remember a while back,"
Alec went on. "Say, it used to set me plumb crazy thinking of it.
There were times I could have shot Murray down in his tracks for it.
It was Jessie. He was just crazy to marry her. I know," he nodded sapiently. "He never said a word. Jess knew, too, and she never said a word. She hates him. She hates him--that way--worse than she hates the Bell River neches. I was glad then. But it ain"t that way now.
We were both wrong. Maybe I"ll make a talk with her one day. I owe Murray more than the dollars he handed me."
"Yes."
Not by the movement of an eyelid did Kars betray his feelings. But a fierce pa.s.sion was tingling in every nerve as the youth went on talking.
"It"s queer how folks get narrowed down living in a b.u.m layout like the Fort." He smiled in a self-satisfied way. "I used to think Jose a wise guy one time. There"s heaps of things you can"t see right in a layout like that. I reckon Jessie ought to know Murray better. It"s up to me. Don"t you guess that way, too?"
Kars smilingly shook his head.
"It doesn"t do b.u.t.ting in," he said. "Y"see folks know best how they need to act. You"re feeling that way--now. No feller can think right for others. Guess folks" eyes don"t see the same. Maybe it"s to do with the color," he smiled. "When a man and a woman get thinking things, there"s no room for other folks."
Kars" manner had a profound effect. He was talking as though dealing with a man of wide worldly knowledge, and the youth was more than flattered. He accepted the situation and the suggestion.
"Maybe you"re right," he said at once. "I felt I"d like to hand him a turn--that"s all."
Kars shrugged.
"It doesn"t matter a thing," he said, with calculated purpose. "It"s just my notion." Then he laughed. "But I didn"t get around to worry with Murray McTavish. It"s better than that."
He rose abruptly from the bed and moved across to the window. Alec was in the act of lighting a cigarette. The match burned itself out in his fingers, and the cigarette remained unlighted. His eyes were on his visitor with sudden expectation. Finally he broke into an uneasy laugh.
"Murray isn"t the only ice on the river," he said weakly.
Kars turned about.
"Nor is he the only gold you"ll maybe locate around. Do you feel like handling--other? Are you looking to make a big bunch of dollars? Do you need a stake that"s going to hand you all the things you"ve dreamed about? You guess I"m a rich man. Folks figger I"m the richest man north of "sixty." Maybe I am. Well, if you guess you"d like to be the same way, it"s up to you."
Alec was sitting up. The effects of his overnight debauch had been completely flung aside. His eyes, so like his father"s, were wide, and his handsome face was alive with a sudden excitement. He flung his cigarette aside.
"Say, you"re--fooling," he breathed incredulously.
Kars shook his head.
"I quit that years," he said.
"I--I don"t get you," Alec went on at last, in a sort of desperate helplessness.
Kars dropped on to the bed again and laughed in his pleasant fashion.
"Sure you don"t. But do you feel like it? Are you ready to take a chance--with me?"
"By Gee--yes! If there"s a stake at the end of it."
"The stake"s there, sure. But--but it means quitting Leaping Horse right away. It means. .h.i.tting the old trail you curse. It means staking your life for all it"s worth. It means using all that that big man, your father, handed you in life. It means getting out on G.o.d"s earth, and telling the world right here you"re a man, and a mighty big man, too. It means all that, and," he added with a smile that was unreadable, "a whole heap more."
Something of the excitement had died out of Alec"s face. A shade of disappointment clouded his eyes. He reached out for another cigarette.
Kars watched the signs.
"Well?" he questioned sharply. "There"s millions of dollars in this for you. I"ll stake my word on it it"s a cinch--or death. I"ve handled the strike, and I know it"s all I figger. I came along to hand you this proposition. And it"s one I wouldn"t hand to another soul living. I"m handing it to you because you"re your father"s son, because I need a feller whose whole training leaves him with the north trail beaten. It"s up to you right here--and now."
The youngster smoked on in silence. Kars watched the battle going on behind his averted eyes. He knew what he was up against. He was struggling to save this boy against the overwhelming forces of extreme youth and weakness. The whole of his effort was supported by the barest thread. Would that thread hold?
Again came that nervous movement as Alec flung away his half-smoked cigarette.
"When should we need to start?" he demanded almost brusquely.
"Two weeks from now."
The egoism of the boy left him almost unappreciative of what this man was offering him. Kars had subtly flattered his vanity. He had done it purposely. He had left the youngster with the feeling that he was being asked a favor. There was relief in the tone of the reply. And complaint followed it up.
"That"s not so bad. You said "right away.""
Kars" eyes were regarding him steadily.
"I call that right away. Well? I"m not handing you any more of it till you--accept," he added.
Alec suddenly sprang from the bed. He paced the room with long nervous strides. He felt that never in his life had he faced such a crisis.
Kars simply looked on.
At last the boy spoke something of his thought aloud.
"By Gee! I can"t refuse it. It"s--it"s too big. Two weeks. She"ll be crazy about it. She"ll--by gad, I must do it. I can----"
He broke off abruptly. He came to the foot-rail of the bed. He stood with his great hands clenching it firmly, as though for support.
"I"ll go, Kars," he cried. "I"ll go! And it"s just great of you.
I--I--it was kind of hard. There"s things----"
Kars nodded.
"Sure," he said, with a smile. "But--she"ll wait for you--if she"s the woman you guess. It"s only a year. But say, you"ll need to sign a bond. A bond of secrecy, and--good faith. There"s no quitting--once it"s signed."
The big man"s eyes shone squarely into the boy"s. And something of the dead father looked back at him.
"Curse it, I"ll sign," Alec cried with sudden force. "I"ll sign anything. Millions of dollars! I"ll sign right away, and I"ll--play as you"d have me."
The boy pa.s.sed a hand through his hair. His decision had cost him dearly. But he had taken it.