The man glanced at a tall well-dressed youth behind him for confirmation, nodded.
Kells took a wad of bills out of his trouser pocket and put two hundred-dollar bills — down behind the line. Dickinson looked up, and his bleary, heavy-lidded eyes came gradually to focus on Kells.
He said, “Hello there,” very heartily. Then he looked as if he were trying hard to remember, said: “Kells! How are ya, boy?”
At mention of Kells’ name it became very quiet for a moment.
Kells said: “I’m fine.”
The little pimpled man rolled.
The dice man said: “Six — an easy one... He will or he won’t... Nine pays the field... Six — right...”
The change man picked up Kells’ two hundred-dollar bills, tossed them down beside Dickinson’s bet.
Dickinson grinned. He said: “Bet it.”
Kells took a thousand-dollar note from his breast pocket, put it down behind the line.