While Polly was trying to get his number, Johnny Gamble sat face to
face with his old partner.

"You have your nerve to come to me," he said, as the eyebrowless young
man sat himself comfortably in Johnny's favorite leather arm-chair.

"There's nobody else to go to," explained Collaton, with an attempt at
jauntiness. "I'm dead broke, and if I don't have two thousand dollars
to-morrow I'll quite likely be pinched."

"I'm jealous," stated Johnny. "I had intended to do it myself."

"I've been expecting you to," acknowledged Collaton. "That's one of the
reasons I came to you."

"I admire you," observed Johnny dryly. "You bled me for two years, and
yet you have the ingrowing gall to come and tell me you're broke."

"Well, it's the truth," defended Collaton. "Look here, Johnny; I've
heard that you made a lot of money in the last few weeks, but you
haven't had any more attachments against you, have you?"

"You bet I haven't," returned Johnny savagely. "I've been waiting for
just one more attempt, and then I intended--"

"I know," interrupted Collaton. "You intended to beat Gresham and
Jacobs and me to a pulp; and then have us pinched for disorderly
conduct, and try to dig up the evidence at the trial."

"Well, something like that," admitted Johnny with a grin.

"I knew it," corroborated Collaton. "I told them when to stop."

"I guess you'll be a good witness," surmised Johnny. "How deep were you
in on this Birchard deal? How much did you get?"

"Did Gresham and Birchard pull something?" inquired Collaton with such
acute interest that Johnny felt sure he had taken no part in that
swindle.

"Well, yes," agreed Johnny with a wince, as he thought of his lost
million. "They did pull a little trick. Did you know Birchard very
well?"

"I wouldn't say what I know about Birchard except on a witness-stand,"
chuckled Collaton, "but I can tell you this much: if he got anything,
throw it a good-by kiss; for he can rub himself out better than any man
I ever saw. He's practised hiding till he doesn't know himself where he
is half of the time."

"I've passed him up," stated Johnny. "The only people I'm after are
Gresham and Jacobs and you."

"I wonder if you wouldn't pin a medal on one of us if he'd give you the
other two," conjectured Collaton, smoothing his freckled cheek and
studying Johnny with his head on one side.

"We're not coining medals this year," declared Johnny, "but if it's you
you're talking about, and you