y mad.

"'Because it's the day you met me,' says Doone; 'that's why it's a lucky
one for you.'

"'Listen to me,' says Jerry, 'of all the nervy, cold-blooded fakers that
ever stepped you're the nerviest.'

"'Thanks,' says Doone. 'I think I am doing pretty well.'

"'If I wanted to waste the time,' says Jerry, 'I'd get up and throw you
out.'

"'It's a wise man,' says Doone, 'that does his talking from the other
side of a rock.'

"'Well,' says Jerry, 'd'you think I can't throw you out?'

"'Anyway,' says Doone, 'I'm still here.'

"I heard the springs squeal, as Jerry went bouncing out of bed. For a
minute they wrestled, and I opened the door. What I see was Jerry lying
flat, and Doone sitting on his chest, as calm and smiling as you please.
I closed the door quick. Jerry's too game a boy to mind being licked
fair and square, but, of course, he'd rather fight till he died than
have me or anybody else see him give up.

"'I dunno how you got there,' says Jerry, 'but, if I don't kill you for
this later on, I'd like to shake hands with you. It was a good trick.'

"'The gent that taught me near busted me in two with the trick of it,'
said Doone. 'S'pose I let you up. Is it to be a handshaking or
fighting?'

"'My wind is gone for half an hour,' says Jerry, 'and my head is pretty
near jarred loose from my spinal column. I guess it'll have to be
hand-shaking today. But I warn you, Doone,' he says, 'someday I'll have
it all out with you over again.'

"'Any time you mention,' says Doone, 'but, if you'd landed that left
when you rushed in, I would have been on the carpet, instead of you.'

"And Jerry chuckles, feeling a pile better to think how near he'd come
to winning the fight.

"'Wait till I jump under the shower,' says Jerry, 'and I'll be with you
again. Have you had breakfast? And what brought you to me? And who the
devil are you, Doone? Are you out of the West?'

"He piles all these questions thick and fast at Doone, and then I seen
right off that him and Doone had made up to be pretty thick with each
other. So I went away from the door and didn't listen any more, and in
about half an hour out they walk, arm in arm, like old pals."

It was perfectly clear to John Mark that Ronicky had come there
purposely to break the link between him and young Jerry Smith. It was
perfectly plain why he wanted to do it.

"How much does Jerry owe me?" he asked suddenly.

The other drew out a pad and calculated for a moment: