Once more he recapitulated his affairs--the land on the Plaza two hundred thousand; the building eighty thousand; the Harbour View lands anything they might rise to, but nearly a quarter million now; ten thousand par value of the wharf stock already paying dividends; real estate here and there and everywhere in the path of the city's growth; shares in a new hotel that must soon touch par; the plank road--as we jotted down the figures, and the magic total grew, such trifling little affairs as gold mines dropped quite below the horizon. We stared at Talbot fascinated. And then for the first time we learned that the five thousand dollars we had sent down from Hangman's Gulch, and the sum left from the robbery, was not slumbering in some banker's safe, but had been sent dancing with the other dollars at Talbot's command. "I didn't know just what you fellows intended," said he, "but we were partners up there at the mines, and I concluded it would be all right. You didn't mean----" "Sure not!" broke in Johnny heartily. "You're welcome to mine." "Same here," agreed Yank and I. And then Talbot let us see that he considered us to that extent partners in the business. "I have the date it arrived," he told us, "and I know just how much actual capital I had myself at that time. So I'm computing your shares in the venture on that basis. It comes to about one tenth apiece for Yank and Johnny. Frank and I have an agreement already." Johnny stared at the paper on which the totals had been pencilled. "Not any!" he protested vehemently. "It isn't fair! You've made this thing by sheer genius, and it isn't fair for me to take a tenth of it on the strength of a measly little consignment of gold dust. You give me your note for a thousand dollars--or whatever the sum is--at interest, if you want to, and that's all that is coming to me." "I feel the same," said Yank. "Boys," argued Talbot earnestly, "that doesn't go. That five thousand saved me. It came at a time when I had to have money or go down. I had been to every bank, to every firm, to every man in town, and I couldn't raise ten cents more. If you refuse this thing, you will be doing something that----" "Oh, hush up, Tal!" broke in Johnny gruffly; "if that's how you feel----" "It is." "It is now," said Johnny firmly, "10:30 A.M., but I'm going to have bubbles. If you fellows don't want me all drunk and dressed up, you've got to help me drink them." CHAPTER XLIV PLUTOCRATS!