d in him fully. But how had the writer of the ill-spelled missive
known of that matter?

Yes, he had better make his bet before these whisperings came to other
ears.

But the bookmaker mentioned? That must be Faust. Why was he prowling
about among stable lads?

He sent for Faust. When the latter had come, Crane asked Diablo's price
for the Brooklyn.

"It's thirty to one now," replied the Bookmaker; "somebody's backin'
him."

Faust's small baby eyes were fixed furtively on Crane's pale, sallow
face, as he imparted this information; but he might as well have studied
the ingrain paper on the wall; its unfigured surface was not more
placid, more devoid of indication, than the smooth countenance he was
searching.

Crane remained tantalizingly silent for a full minute; evidently his
thoughts had drifted away to some other subject.

"Yes," said Faust, speaking again to break the trying quiet, "some one's
nibblin' at Diablo in the books. I wonder if it's Porter; did he think
him a good horse?"

"It can't be Porter, nor any one else who knows Diablo. It's some
foolish outsider, tempted by the long odds. I suppose, however, it
doesn't matter; in fact, it's all the better. You took that five
thousand to fifty for me, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, just lay it off. You can do so now at a profit."

"You don't want to back Diablo, then? Shall I lay against him further?"

"If you like--in your own book. I don't want to have anything to do
with him, one way or the other. I always thought he was a bad horse,
and--and--well, never mind, just lay that bet off. I shall probably want
to back The Dutchman again shortly."

When Faust had gone, Crane opened the little drawer which held his
betting book, took it out, and drew a pencil through the entry he had
made opposite Allis's name.

"That's off for a few days, thanks to Mr. Faust," he thought. Then
he ran his eye back over several other entries. "Ah, that's the
man--Hummel; he'll do."

Next he consulted his telephone book; tracing his finger down the "H"
column he came to "Ike Hummel, commission broker, Madison 71184."

Over the 'phone he made an appointment for the next day at eleven
o'clock with Hummel; and the result of that interview was that Crane
backed Diablo to win him a matter of seventy-five thousand dollars at
the liberal odds of seventy-five to one; for Jakey Faust, feeling that
he had made a mistake in backing the Black, had laid off all his own
bets and s