link off without giving
me proper notice, you forfeit every penny. How does that pan out--eh?"

Gerard's countenance fell. There was truth in this, he feared.

"Well, never mind about that," he said. "I'll waive my claim. I'll
make you a present of these months of hard work. Just return me my
twenty-five pounds, and we'll cry quits."

Anstey's face was a study in well-simulated amazement--blank, bewildered
amazement.

"Is the fellow drunk," he said, "or only mad? Your what? I'm not sure
if I quite heard. Your twenty-five thousand pounds, did you say?"

"I said my twenty-five pounds, that you induced me to hand over to you
to be invested in this business, which I believe to be an utterly rotten
concern, and has been for some time past," replied Gerard, stung out of
all prudence or reserve.

The two transport-riders looked at each other with dismayed meaning.
Their conversation must have been overheard. Anstey's face turned livid
at this hit.

"You're slandering me--slandering me before witnesses, by God--and
that's actionable. I'll have it out of you, you beggarly young sweep!"
he yelled, shaking his fist furiously, safe in the conviction that the
other men would not suffer Gerard to assault him.

"Well, you can please yourself about that. What I want now is the
return of my money?"

"Oh, indeed!" sneered Anstey, affecting a cool sarcasm. "And will you
kindly state _what_ money it is you desire returned?"

"Certainly," answered Gerard, "though I have already done so. I want
the twenty-five pounds--all I had in the world--which you induced me to
entrust to you to be invested in this rotten business. And I am going
to have it!"

"Oh, you are? So you shall, and welcome, when you can produce one scrap
of evidence, either in writing or by word of mouth, that I have ever had
twenty-five pounds, or shillings, or pence from you. Eh, sonny? What
do you say, now?"

Gerard started; stared blankly as he grasped the full extent of the
other's rascality. For, in his rawness and inexperience, he had not
required any sort of receipt or acknowledgment from Anstey, and he had
handed over the money at a time when there was no witness within sight
or earshot.

"And I tell you what it is," pursued Anstey, marking his undisguised
discomfiture, "I'll be hanged if I don't have the law of you for trying
to extort money out of me by threats and violence. I will, too, if you
don't clear out of this mighty sharp,