e. Halloway still breathed heavily on--a sleeping giant whose
ears were very much awake. This was no official message paying toll,
but a private conversation between operators bent on whiling away dull
moments. Moreover it was evidently the continuation of talk previously
commenced so that to the eavesdropper it was like a continued story of
which he had missed the opening chapters.

"Upward of four thousand dollars," tapped out Wicks. "That's big
money, but the more men that split it the less each feller gets, so
they don't want too many from Viper."

Halloway realized at once that this lantern-jawed operator had a swift
and sure sending finger, and when the answer came it was, in contrast,
labored and ragged. It was as if two men talked, one in rapid and
clear-clipped syllables--the other in a stutter.

Said Viper, "There might be neck-stretching too if too many tongues
make talk. Jess will have the boys ready at the place soon in the
morning. They will wait for orders there."

"At the place!" Halloway in his counterfeited sleep cursed to himself.
If instead of those indefinite words the point had been named he would
have gained something tangible. He knew now however beyond a doubt
that both operators were conspirators and he had gleaned one comforting
assurance--the plans contemplated no joining of forces until to-morrow.
Those at the far end were still uninstructed. If it came to a race
to-night that gave a better chance.

Then Viper cut off and Wicks, with a sigh of boredom, settled back in
his chair once more and gave himself over to silence.

Finally Halloway stirred out of his slumber and stretched himself.

"I reckon," he admitted shamefacedly, "I must hev fell asleep. That
damn fire broke up my rest last night." With which comment he
slouched, still sleepily, out of the place, rubbing his eyes as he
went, with ham-like fists.

At the rafts he found Bud Sellers, and a round dozen men of Bud's
selection. Looking them over, Halloway privately approved. There was
not an eye in the number that was not hawk-clear; or a figure that was
not nail-hard. These were fellows cut to a pattern of action, but even
in their excellent average, one stood out with an individualism which
immediately struck the observer.

He was introduced as Jerry O'Keefe, but Halloway would not have needed
the name, once he had seen the lazy challenging twinkle in the
gray-blue eyes, to spot him as a man of Irish blood.