manner.

"Yes. There's nothing in the State that can beat my Thunderer, Daystar
and Imperial Don except that long-legged devil-colt. You want to retire
from business. You can do it after this summer's racing with the tips
I'll give you _if you'll kill Dudley's colt tonight_!"

"I can't! I can't!" was the moaning reply. "I'm not too good; I'm
afraid!"

"Afraid of what?" a sneering voice returned. "Of the dark, two old
niggers, an old man and a girl? You're not game a bit!"

"Let me think ... let me think! How much can I make?"

"Ten thousand, easy. See here, it can be done in a minute. We've tried
poison and fire, but there's no escape from a pistol bullet, unless that
lank fool who last night went where I tried to go chooses to stand in
the way--and I shouldn't care if he did."

"Where will the horse be?--the stable's burned flat."

"I'll find that out today and let you know soon after dark. But you'd
better not do it till along towards three in the morning. Everybody will
be asleep then."

"But if they should catch me, Marston? I'm supposed to be respectable!"

"Damn you for a rank coward!" was the explosive rejoinder, spoken aloud.
"I know a fellow who'll do it for a ten-dollar bill!"

The heavy tramping of feet followed this harsh speech, as though the man
who had spoken was leaving the room.

"Hold on, Marston!" the nervous voice protested, eagerly. "Come back a
minute! And don't talk so loud. That new doctor's on this floor
somewhere. I was asleep when they brought him in half dead last night,
and the night clerk, Jones, put him on this floor somewhere. Be patient.
A man can't risk his life and reputation without thinking about it. Sit
down just a minute and let me think."

Some unintelligible grumbling was the only reply Glenning could hear,
but he judged from the silence which followed that both men were still
there. He took advantage of this lull in the conversation to put his
eye to the keyhole. A compactly built, brutish looking man was in his
line of vision, sprawled in a chair directly facing him. Glenning would
have recognized anywhere the one who had vainly tried to enter The
Prince's stall. He was an evil appearing man. His shoulders were very
broad, and his neck was so thick and short that his round head seemed to
spring from his body. He was flashily dressed, with knee length riding
boots of russet leather. His face was sensual and cruel; his straight
black hair grew low upon his forehead.