.

"Haven't seen the crow anywhere, have you?"

"No, nor want to. Leave him alone."

"Afraid of him, eh?"

"I'm truthful enough to say that I'm damned afraid of him. Don't
mistake me. I'd like to see him flat, beaten, down and out for good.
I'd like to see him lose that windfall, every cent of it. But I don't
want to get in his way just now."

"Rot! Don't you worry; no beach-comber like that can stand up long in
front of me. He threatened on board that he was going to collect that
fifty pounds. He hasn't been very spry about it."

"I should like to be with you when you meet."

Mallow grinned. "Not above seeing a pal get walloped, eh? Well, you
get a ring-side ticket. It'll be worth it."

"I don't want to see you get licked," denied Craig irritably. "All I
ask is that you shelve some of your cock-sureness. I'm not so
dead-broke that I must swallow all of it. I've warned you that he is a
strong man. He used to be one of the best college athletes in America."

"College!" exploded Mallow. "What the devil does a college athlete
know about a dock-fight?"

"Ever see a game of football?"

"No."

"Well, take it from me that it's the roughest game going. It's a game
where you put your boot in a man's face when he's not looking. Mallow,
they kill each other in that game. And Ellison was one of the best,
fifteen years ago. He used to wade through a ton of solid, scrapping,
plunging flesh. And nine times out of ten he used to get through. I
want you to beat him up, and it's because I do that I'm warning you not
to underestimate him. On shipboard he handled me as you would a bag of
salt; damn him! He's a surprise to me. He looks as if he had lived
clean out here. There's no booze-sign hanging out on him, like there
is on you and me."

"Booze never hurt me any."

"You're galvanized inside," said Craig, staring again at Elsa. He
wished he knew how to hurt her, too. But he might as well throw stones
at the stars.

"How would you like to put one over on this chap Ellison?"

"In what way?"

Mallow smoked for a moment, then touched his breast pocket
significantly.

"Not for mine," returned Craig. "Cards are my long suit. I'm no
second-story man, not yet."

"I know. But supposing you could get it without risk?"

"In the first place, the bulk of his cash is tied up in letters of
credit."

"Ah, you know that?"

"What good would it do to pinch those? In Europe there would be some
c