, I'll give you twenty dollars if you
sneak dat ring."

"Done with you," says Butts, as calm as a summer's day. In two minutes
Maudie was twirling about with the handy gentleman, who seemed as
accomplished with his toes as he was reputed to be with his fingers.

He came up with her presently and ordered some wine.

"Wine, b-gosh!" muttered Charlie in drunken appreciation, propping
himself against the wall again, and always slipping sideways. "Y' tink
he's d' fines' sor' fella, don't you? Hein? Wai' 'n see!"

The wine disappears and the two go off for another dance. Inside of ten
minutes up comes Butts and passes something to French Charlie. That
gentleman laughs tipsily, and, leaning on Butts's arm, makes his way to
the scales.

"Weigh out twen' dollars dis gen'man," he ordered.

Butts pulled up the string of his poke and slipped to one side, as
noise reached the group at the bar of a commotion at the other end of
the saloon.

"My ring! it's gone! My diamond ring! Now, you've got it"; and Maudie
came running out from the dancers after one of the Woodworth gentlemen.

Charlie straightened up and grinned, almost sobered in excess of joy
and satisfied revenge. The Woodworth gentleman is searched and
presently exonerated. Everybody is told of the loss, every nook and
corner investigated. Maudie goes down on hands and knees, even creeping
behind the bar.

"I know'd she go on somethin' awful," said Charlie, so gleefully that
Bonsor, the proprietor of the Gold Nugget, began to look upon him with
suspicion.

When Maudie reappeared, flushed, and with disordered hair, after her
excursion under the counter, French Charlie confronted her.

"Looky here. You treated me blame mean, Maudie; but wha'd' you say if
I's to off' a rewar' for dat ring?"

"Reward! A healthy lot o' good that would do."

"Oh, very well; 'f you don' wan' de ring back--"

"I _do,_ Charlie."

He hammered on the bar.

"Ev'body gottah look fur ring. I give a hunner 'n fifty dollah rewar'."

Maudie stared at the princely offer. But instantly the commotion was
greater than ever. "Ev'body" did what was expected of them, especially
Mr. Butts. They flew about, looking in possible and impossible places,
laughing, screaming, tumbling over one another. In the midst of the
uproar French Charlie lurches up to Maudie.

"Dat look anyt'in' like it?"

"Oh, _Charlie!"_

She looked the gratitude she could not on the instant speak.

In the midst of the no