make a killing for you? Well, a straight
answer."

Bojo was silent.

"No, no, Bojo; don't come to me with any cock-and-bull story like
that--"

"Roscy, it _is_ a lie. I was completely in the dark myself; but I won't
touch a cent of it until your losses are squared, every dollar of them!"

"So that's the game, eh?" said Marsh, laughing. "Well you go plump to
the devil!

"Roscy!" said Bojo, jumping up and seizing his arm. "At least let me
square up what you lost. Hold up. Wait a second, don t go off
half-cocked! Fred's got to be hauled out of this; it's not only
bankruptcy, it's a darned sight worse--it's his word, his honor--a
woman's money, too. You know him--he's weak, he won't stand up under it.
Good God, you don't want me to have his life on my conscience?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to make Fred believe what I told you--it's the only way. If you
play into the game he'll believe it. Good Lord, Roscy, this thing's bad
enough as it is. You don't think I could profit one cent while you
fellows were cleaned out by my own fault?"

"Look here," said Marsh, sitting down, "it isn't your fault. I gambled,
that's all, and lost. I gambled before on your advice and won.
Fifty-fifty, that's all. Now Fred's different. I'll admit it. You can do
what you please with him; that's between you two. If you've got to make
him believe I'm doing the same, to make him take the money--all right;
but if you come around again to me with any such insulting proposition,
Tom Crocker, there'll be trouble."

Bojo clasped and unclasped his hands in utter helplessness. Then he
glanced at Granning.

"You've done what you could," said Granning, shaking his head.

"A rotten mess. I feel rotten," said Bojo slowly.

Marsh, relenting, clapped him on the shoulder affectionately. "Mighty
white of you, Bojo--and don't think for a moment any one's blaming you!"

"I'm not sure how I feel myself," said Bojo slowly.

"Drake used you, Tom," said Granning quietly. "He'd figured out you'd be
watched--the old decoy game."

"No, no," said Bojo warmly. "He did not, I'm sure of that. He
particularly warned me not to do anything on my own hook without
consulting him. It was my fault-- I jumped at conclusions!"

Granning and Marsh laughed.

"By George, if I thought that!" said Bojo, rising up.

"Don't think anything," said Marsh quietly. "It's all in the game
anyhow!" Suddenly he stopped and, the journalistic instinct awakening,
said: "You