“Yes. Gotta quarter share in ’26 below’ on Black Creek. We sold out yesterday to the Syndicate. The missus’ll be crazed when she hears. And how about you?”
“No luck. I don’t think I was born lucky, Hank. I used to think so——”
Hanky shook his head and pointed to the untasted spirit in Jim’s mug.
“Drink up!”
Jim quaffed the vile spirit and fastened the chin-strap of his cap. 211
“Jim, don’t go to Endicott.”
“Eh?”
“Don’t. You’re looking ugly, boy, and things are done sudden-like when you’re that way.”
Jim gave a harsh laugh and his eyes flashed madly. Then he stopped, biting off the laugh with a snap of his teeth.
“There are some crimes for which there ain’t no punishment but one, Hanky. There’s no power on this earth, bar death, that’ll stop me from gitting D’Arcy. If I don’t come back before the break-up you can take it that he saw me coming before I got him.”