"Bo, what about Bud?"
"Oh, he's lying around somewhere."
"Hully Chee—d' ye mean—"
"He tried gouging first, but I expected that; then he tried to throttle me, but I throttled a little harder. He's an ugly customer, as you said, but"—Ravenslee laughed and glanced at his bloody knuckles—"I don't think he'll be keen to rough it with me again just yet."
"Bo, I guess you can be pretty ugly too—say, when you laugh that way I feel—kind of sorry for Bud."
"Why, what's wrong with Spike?"
"Dunno—I guess they've been slinging dope into him. And he's copped it pretty bad from Young Alf too—look at that eye!"
"Spike!" said Ravenslee, shaking him, "Spike, what is it? Buck up, old fellow!" But Spike only stared dazedly and moaned.
"It's dope all right," nodded the Spider, "or else Bud's mixed th' drinks on him."
"Damn him!" said Ravenslee softly. "I wish I'd throttled a little harder!"