human
Well, now, that's good, he said;
gpt
He paused and chuckled to himself, thinking he had been witty, and continued:
human
And I was that court, and my judgment was that the debt of that life you saved had to be paid to you within one calendar year, with interest at the usual per cent for mortgages on good security. That was my judgment, and there's no appeal from it. I am the great Justinian in this case.
gpt
Did you ever save anybody's life?
human
Twice certain, and once dividin' the honours,
gpt
And did you expect to get any pay, with or without interest?
human
Me? I never thought of it again. But yes--by gol, I did! One case was funny, as funny can be. It was Ricky Wharton over on the Muskwat River. I saved his life right enough, and he came to me a year after and said, You saved my life, now what are you going to do with it? I'm stony broke. I owe a hundred dollars, and I wouldn't be owing it if you hadn't saved my life. When you saved it I was five hunderd to the good, and I'd have left that much behind me. Now I'm on the rocks, because you insisted on saving my life; and you just got to take care of me.' I 'insisted!' Well, that knocked me silly, and I took him on--blame me, if I didn't keep Ricky a whole year, till he went north looking for gold. Get pay--why, I paid! Saving life has its responsibilities, little gal.
gpt
You can't save life without running some risk yourself, not as a rule, can you?
human
Not as a rule, he replied.
gpt
You took on a bit of risk with me, you and your Piegan pony.
human
Oh, I was young, she responded, leaning over the table, and drawing faces on a piece of paper before her.
gpt
I could take more risks, I was only nineteen!
human
I don't catch on, he rejoined.
gpt
If it's sixteen or--
human
Or fifty,
gpt
What difference does it make? If you're done for, it's the same at nineteen as fifty, and vicey-versey.
human
No, it's not the same, she answered.
gpt
You leave so much more that you want to keep, when you go at fifty.
human
Well, I dunno. I never thought of that.
gpt
There's all that has belonged to you. You've been married, and have children, haven't you?
human
I got one girl--she's east with her grandmother,
gpt
That's what I said; there's more to leave behind at fifty,