"I'll bet you my spaceship," said Meek, the madness still upon him, "that Twenty-three will beat you."
He rubbed it in. "I'll even give you odds."
Craney gasped and sputtered. "I don't want any odds," he yelped. "I'll take it even. My moss patch against your ship."
Someone was calling Meek's name in the crowd.
"Mr. Meek! Mr. Meek!"
"Here," said Meek.
"What about that story?" demanded Billy Jones, but Meek didn't hear him.
A man was tearing his way through the crowd. It was one of the men from Twenty-three.
"Mr. Meek," he panted, "you got to come right away. It's Gus. He's all tangled up with rheumatiz!"