“You think—just what?”
“I am afraid you are in a trap, old man, to be frank about it.”
“I may be,” nodded the Virginian, “for I have trusted to Herrick’s word. I see now that I was a fool to trust the fellow in anything.”
“These fights, you know, are seldom on the level. In almost every case they are fixed in advance. Prize-fighters, like many politicians, may be bought easily if you have plenty of dough. Some of the recent fights in this city have been the most open cases of robbery ever recorded. Every square sport—and there are a few square men who call themselves sports—is disgusted with the rottenness of the affairs here. The man who puts his money on one of these bouts without knowing just how the land lays is taking a leap in the dark, with everything in favor of a terrible jolt when he strikes.”
“But I supposed I knew; I thought Herrick on the level.”
“And the chances are that you have put your foot in it. Is there no way to hedge?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps I might find somebody to put money on the Unknown if I offered odds enough.”
“It would be taking a desperate chance. When does the fight take place?”
“To-morrow night.”
“Well, it’s no use to worry over it to-night, Diamond. To-morrow we’ll see what can be done. You are to stop here with me.”