tring in two and handed bag and contents to her master, who nodded and
thrust it in his pocket.

Two tiers up and directly in back of Don Miguel and his guests, two men
glanced meaningly at each other.

"Did you twig that?" one of them whispered. "That crazy Greaser is a
local favorite, wherever he comes from. Those two monks and that
_cholo_ and his squaw are giving him every dollar they possess to bet
on this quarter horse entered in a long race, and I'll bet five
thousand dollars he'll drop it into that machine, little realizing that
every dollar he bets on his horse here will depress the odds
proportionately."

"It's a shame, Joe, to see all that good money dropping into the maw of
those Paris Mutuel sharks. Joe, we ought to be kicked if we allow it."

"Can you speak Spanish?"

"Not a word."

"Well, let's get an interpreter. That Tia Juana policeman yonder will
do."

"All right. I'll split the pot with you, old timer."

Directly after the first race a Mexican policeman touched Farrel on the
arm. "Your pardon, _senor_," he murmured politely, "but two American
gentlemen have asked me to convey to you a message of importance. Will
the _senor_ be good enough to step down to the betting ring with me?"

"With the utmost delight," Don Miguel replied in his mother tongue and
followed the policeman, who explained as they proceeded toward the
betting ring the nature of the message.

"These two gentlemen," he exclaimed, "are book-makers. While
book-makers who lay their own odds are not permitted to operate openly
and with the approval of the track authorities, there are a number of
such operating quietly here. One may trust them implicitly. They
always pay their losses--what you call true blue sports. They have
much money and it is their business in life to take bets. These two
gentlemen are convinced that your horse, Panchito, cannot possibly win
this race and they are prepared to offer you odds of ten to one for as
much money as the _senor_ cares to bet. They will not move from your
side until the race is run and the bet decided. The odds they offer
you are greater than you can secure playing your money in the Mutuel."

Don Mike halted in his tracks. "I have heard of such men. I observed
the two who talked with you and the _jefe politico_ assured me
yesterday that they are reliable gentlemen. I am prepared to trust
them. Why not? Should they attempt to escape with my money when
Panchito wins-