eir headquarters, and eased himself of the foregoing remarks.

Hank Burton and Bob Katz sat at a table playing cards. There were a
bottle and two glasses on the table. Katz was smoking a pipe and Burton
a cigar.

"Hanged if I care a hoot about anything, just now, but annexing a little
kale," said Burton, turning in his chair to look at Gerald with a scowl.
"Here I haven't a sou in my jeans, and I've got as much right to that
fifteen thousand as you or Katz have, Wynn. Fork over a hundred! I'm
tired of bein' broke."

"Nary, I don't fork!" Wynn answered positively. "You know what we're
going to do with this money, Hank, and you know that if we start to
break into it the whole will go and we'll be up a spout on this Tia
Juana business."

"Blast the Tia Juana business! A bird in the hand beats a whole flock in
the bush! Give me my share now, Gerald, and you and Bob can do what you
blamed please with your own part of the swag."

"That won't go!" spoke up Katz. "The share we want in that gamblin'
layout below the border will take all the fifteen thousand. You agreed
to go inter it, Hank. Don't crawfish now!"

"I want somethin' to jingle in my pocket!" barked Burton.

"Take a couple o' nails," suggested Katz.

"I allow it's right funny to you," continued Burton sourly, "but it
ain't pleasant to go around with nary a red in your pants."

"I'm paying your expenses, Hank," put in Gerald. "Staked to your three
squares, your smoking and your travel pay, I don't see what more you
need. If this Tia Juana scheme works out, we'll all of us get rich."

"I want a little loose cash now," cried Burton.

"Go out and work for it, then," said Gerald, out of patience. "If we put
anything into the Tia Juana game it's got to be fifteen thousand, and
I'd be mighty foolish to give you money out of our capital."

"Give it to me out of your own pocket if you don't want to give me any
of the capital!"

"I've got just enough to get us to Catalina where we're to see Jack
Lopez and clean up the Tia Juana business. Why don't you do a little
something on the side, Hank? You're a champion swimmer--go to some
natatorium and give swimming lessons. That would be easy money."

"Gammon!" snorted Burton.

In a fit of anger he jumped to his feet, and he would have left the
room, but Gerald stood in front of the door and barred the way.

"Now, don't get ugly!" said Gerald. "I've got something to tell you
that's mighty interesting. I think, fello