his queer person knew
considerable about gun-shot wounds and was even more surprised when The
Spider drew a flat sheaf of bills from his pocket and asked what an
operation would cost. Andover told him.

The Spider immediately counted out the money and handed it to Andover.
"And get him in a room where he can be by himself. I'll pay for it."

"That's all right, but if he should not recover from the operation--"

"I'm gambling that he'll pull through," said The Spider. "And there's
my ante. It's up to you."

"I'll have a receipt made out--"

The Spider shook his bead. "His life'll be my receipt. And you're
writing it--don't make no mistake."

Andover's pale face flushed. "I'm not accustomed to having my
reputation as a surgeon questioned."

"See here," said The Spider, laying another packet of bills on the
surgeon's desk. "Where I come from money talks. And I reckon it ain't
got tongue-tied since I was in El Paso last. Here's a thousand. Pull
that boy through and forget where you got the money."

"I couldn't do more if you said ten thousand," asserted Andover.

"Gambling is my business," said The Spider. "I raise the ante. Do you
come in?"

"This is not a sporting proposition,"--Andover hesitated,--"but I'll
come in," he added slowly.

"You're wrong," said The Spider; "everything is a sporting proposition
from the day a man is born till he cashes in, and mebby after. I don't
know about that, and I didn't come here to talk. My money 'll talk for
me."

Andover, quite humanly, was thinking that a thousand dollars would help
considerably toward paying for the new car that he had had in mind for
some time. He used a car in his work and he worked for the General
Hospital. His desire to possess a new car was not altogether
professional, and he knew it. But he also knew that he was overworked
and underpaid.

"Who shall I say called?" asked Andover, picking up the packet of bills.

"Just tell him it was a friend."

Andover was quite as shrewd in his way as was this strange visitor, who
evidently did not wish to be known. "This entire matter is rather
irregular," he said,--"and the--er--bonus--is necessarily a
confidential matter!"

"Which suits me,"--and The Spider blinked queerly.

Dr. Andover stepped to the main doorway. As he bade The Spider
good-night, he told him to call up on the telephone about ten-thirty
the next morning, or to call personally if he preferred.

The Spider hesitat