"How am I to know that you will surely pay me seventy-five dollars for the ring? You pounced upon me a few minutes ago as if you would rob me of it if it had been in my possession."
"That was all through my eagerness and excitement," declared the man, soothingly. "I meant you no harm, but I was very anxious."
"Well, I don't know; I am afraid I will be left when I get the ring and hand it over, so I guess I'll——"
"What?"
Wat edged a little farther away.
"I guess I'll throw up the job," he hesitated.
"Do you still think you can find a way to get the ring?"
"Think so! I know I can get it, sooner or later, if I want to."
"Then look here, to prove that I am sincere I will pay you this much in advance. It is a twenty-dollar gold piece. Now you cannot doubt my earnestness and fairness in this matter. If you bring me the ring within forty-eight hours, I'll pay you, besides this twenty, the seventy-five dollars I offered in the first place."
Snell eagerly clutched the piece of money.