en Padilla an' another o' them Spanish
chaps, that's put me up to somethink."

"What did you hear?"

"That the swag'll tot up to the total o' three hundred thousand
dollars."

"The deuce it will! Why, they said it wasn't half that much. Padilla
himself told me so."

"No matter what he's told you. I tell ye now, it's all o' the six
figures I've sayed. In coorse, it's their interest to make it out small
as they possibly can; seein' as our share's to be a percentage. I know
better now; an' knowin' it, an't agoin' to stan' none o' theer nonsense.
Neyther shud you, Bill. We both o' us are 'bout to risk the same as
any o' the t'others."

"That's true enough."

"In coorse it is. An' bein' so, we oughter share same as them; can, an'
will, if we stick well thegither. It's jest as eezy one way as
t'other."

"There's something in what you say, mate."

"Theer's every thin' in it, an' nothin' more than our rights. As I've
sayed, we all risk the same, an' that's gettin' our necks streetched.
For if we make a mucker o' the job, it'll be a hangin' matter sure. An'
I dar say theer's got to be blood spilt afore it's finished."

"What would you advise our doing? You know, Jack, I'll stand by you,
whatever you go in for."

"Well; I want it to be a fair divide, all round; detarmined it shell be.
Why shud the four Spanish fellas get a dollar more'n us others? As
I've obsarved, two of them, Gomez an' Hernandez, have set theer eyes on
the weemen folks. It's eezy to see that's part o' theer game. Beside,
I heerd them talkin' o't. Gomez be arter the light girl, an' Hernandez
the dark un. 'Bout that, they may do as they like for ought's I care.
But it's all the more reezun why they oughtent be so greedy 'bout the
shinin' stuff. As for Mister Gomez, it's plain he's the head man o' the
lot; an' the second mate, who engaged us, is only same's the others, an'
'pears to be controlled by him. 'Twar 'tween them two I overheerd the
confab; Gomez sayin' to Padilla that the dust lyin' snug in the
cabin-lockers was full valley for three hundred thousan'. An' as
theer's eleven o' us to share, that 'ud be nigh on thirty thousan'
apiece, if my 'rithmetic an't out o' recknin'. Bill Davis; I say, we
oughter stan' up for our rights."

"Certainly we should. But there'll be difficulty in getting them, I
fear."

"Not a bit--not a morsel, if we stick out for 'em. The four Spanyards
means to go snacks 'mong themselves. But theer