“That’s right,” agreed Nipper. “We’ve all been up against it — Dave an’ me. You’ve got the goods.”
“I figured,” said Cliff, “that if I wanted to work a racket, the best way was to break in on some of these fellows that think they know all about it. So I’m muscling in; and I’m doing it my own way.
“I’ve got cash! I’m going to keep on getting it! You fellows are in the same boat that I was in; that’s why I’m giving you the chance to step in on the ground floor of this game.”
“Righto, Cliff,” agreed Patsy Birch. “I’m puttin’ you straight. The three of us is ready — an’ we ain’t tied up with nobody right now. We ain’t goin’ to be, neither, just so long as you’ve got a lay for us!”
Cliff drew a roll of bills from his pocket. The men watched him eagerly as he counted out fifteen hundred dollars in one-hundred-dollar bills and divided the money into three equal piles. He brought the garage checks from his pocket and laid one on each pile of money.
“One stack for each of you,” he said. “I’m paying you in advance! That’s what I think of you fellows!”
“Half a grand!” exclaimed Nipper. “Say, Cliff, we’ll bump off a whole mob for this.”
“Put the cash away,” said Cliff. “Look at those tickets” — the men obeyed — “and listen to me. There’ll be no guns tonight. Leave your rods at home if you want. This job wants to be done quietly, understand?”
The listeners nodded.
“I want each of you to take your claim check,” explained Cliff, “and go to the garage marked on it. Pay for storage on the truck, but before you drive it out, look for a little switch under the front seat.