yourself, and we will deal justly by you. So shall you avoid delay. You
may avoid some risk. _Quién sabe?_ If you refuse we shall truly endeavor
to be interestin'; and you may get nothing.' That's what I would say."

"A share, to be named by Johnson and then be divided between ten? Well, I
guess not!" declared Zurich. "To begin with, we'll find a way to stop Kid
Mitchell from any Eastern trip. Capital is shy; I'm not much afraid of
what Johnson can do. But this boy has the inside track."

"With my usual astuteness," remarked Something Dewing, "I had divined as
much. And there is another string to our bow if we make a complete
failure of this mine business--as would seem to be promised by the
Gavilan fiasco. When such goodly sums are expended to procure the
downfall of Kid Mitchell--an event as yet unexpectedly delayed--there's
money in it somewhere. Big money! I know it. And I mean to touch some
of it. My unknown benefactor shall have my every assistance to attain his
hellish purpose--hellish purpose, I believe, is the phrase proper to the
complexion of this affair. Then, to use the words of the impulsive
Hotspur, slightly altered to suit the occasion, I'll creep upon him while
he lies asleep, and in his ear I'll whisper--Snooks!"

"You don't know where he lives," said Zurich.

"Ah, but you do! I beg your pardon, Zurich--perhaps in my thoughtlessness
I have wounded you. I used the wrong pronoun. I did not mean to say
'I'--much less 'you'--in reference to who should hollo 'Halves!' to our
sleeping benefactor. 'We' was the word I should have used."

Zurich regarded Mr. Dewing in darkling silence; and that gentleman, in no
way daunted, continued gayly: